Linux configuration tools?
Posted: Sat Nov 01, 2008 4:09 pm
I can't remember which program had a tool like this but I believe it was Postfix, which offered a CLI tool to update it's configuration files.
Apache has something similar for enabling it's modules.
I always prefered manually editing the config files...but now I see huge benefit to having CLI tools which update configuration files...
Automatic server setup via shell scripts or recorded commands.
When I first configure a server it would be the cats meow if I could just run a single script which configured a system for me the way I wanted it.
Of course the problem is some config files are not trivial INI files but like Apache have directives which are nested within others almost in an XML fashion.
So my question becomes does anyone know of a project which either:
a. Develops tools for many of the config files to allow editing via CLI
b. Standardize the data store for config files (almost Windows registry like -- maybe LDAP?)
Basically, you know how most linux apps are flexible in what databases they use, etc? Is it possible to move the configuration files into MYSQL, LDAP, etc?
I guess apache wouldn't work well due to the fact that .htaccess sets up the environment on a per directory basis...

EDIT | In case it's not clear I am trying to record every step I make when configuring a web server into a single shell script so when I move servers I just have to upload my script, run it and have the system ready for prime time.
Making sure all modules are configured in PHP, Apache, Postfix, etc is time consuming to do and more a PITA to write down so as not to forget.
If you know of any other techniques or tools I would greatly appreciate it. Would this also work for upgrading a system?
Apache has something similar for enabling it's modules.
I always prefered manually editing the config files...but now I see huge benefit to having CLI tools which update configuration files...
Automatic server setup via shell scripts or recorded commands.
When I first configure a server it would be the cats meow if I could just run a single script which configured a system for me the way I wanted it.
Of course the problem is some config files are not trivial INI files but like Apache have directives which are nested within others almost in an XML fashion.
So my question becomes does anyone know of a project which either:
a. Develops tools for many of the config files to allow editing via CLI
b. Standardize the data store for config files (almost Windows registry like -- maybe LDAP?)
Basically, you know how most linux apps are flexible in what databases they use, etc? Is it possible to move the configuration files into MYSQL, LDAP, etc?
I guess apache wouldn't work well due to the fact that .htaccess sets up the environment on a per directory basis...
EDIT | In case it's not clear I am trying to record every step I make when configuring a web server into a single shell script so when I move servers I just have to upload my script, run it and have the system ready for prime time.
Making sure all modules are configured in PHP, Apache, Postfix, etc is time consuming to do and more a PITA to write down so as not to forget.
If you know of any other techniques or tools I would greatly appreciate it. Would this also work for upgrading a system?