[OpenAFS] package tool

[Russ Allbery]

Steve Devine <sdevine@msu.edu> writes:

> The package tool  formally in the IBM transarc software is deprecated --
> in obsolete status.
> We have tried rebuilding it to run on Linux but so far no joy.
> We found this to be a helpful tool.
> Basically we have traditionally used it to run daily via crontab and if
> we have changed a file it get 'pushed' down and replaces old files.
> This is helpful to change printcap , hosts files;  etc.

The current version of package (for some definition of current) is at:

    <ftp://ftp.andrew.cmu.edu/pub/AFS-Tools>

We're dropping it from OpenAFS not because it's not useful but because
it's not really related to OpenAFS and the OpenAFS maintainers aren't
really in a position to maintain and improve it.

> What methods / utility's are others using to keep machines configuration
> files current?

There are about as many different methods as there are sites.  Stanford is
currently in the process of deploying Puppet for that purpose.

    <http://www.reductivelabs.com/projects/puppet/>

Previously, we mostly used bundle plus shell scripts:

    <http://www.eyrie.org/~eagle/software/bundle/>

but that's intentionally a more manually-driven process rather than a
fully automated one.

Many other people use cfengine; we're deploying Puppet in preference
because the core seems more robust and the syntax easier to use.

-- 
Russ Allbery (rra@stanford.edu)             <http://www.eyrie.org/~eagle/>