diff options
Diffstat (limited to 'contrib/linux-2.0-transname.lsm')
| -rw-r--r-- | contrib/linux-2.0-transname.lsm | 93 |
1 files changed, 93 insertions, 0 deletions
diff --git a/contrib/linux-2.0-transname.lsm b/contrib/linux-2.0-transname.lsm new file mode 100644 index 00000000..4a590968 --- /dev/null +++ b/contrib/linux-2.0-transname.lsm @@ -0,0 +1,93 @@ +Xref: news.nsw.CSIRO.AU comp.os.linux.announce:2827 +Path: news.nsw.CSIRO.AU!metro!metro!munnari.OZ.AU!news.ecn.uoknor.edu!news.wildstar.net!news.ececs.uc.edu!newsrelay.netins.net!newsfeed.dacom.co.kr!arclight.uoregon.edu!feed1.news.erols.com!howland.erols.net!newsfeed.internetmci.com!in3.uu.net!liw.clinet.fi!usenet +From: schoebel@informatik.uni-stuttgart.de (Thomas Schoebel-Theuer) +Newsgroups: comp.os.linux.announce +Subject: linux-2.0.21-transname - Patch for easier pool administration +Followup-To: comp.os.linux.misc +Date: 30 Oct 1996 10:53:38 GMT +Organization: Informatik, Uni Stuttgart, Germany +Lines: 76 +Approved: linux-announce@news.ornl.gov (Lars Wirzenius) +Message-ID: <pgpmoose.199610301253.4416@liw> +NNTP-Posting-Host: liw +X-Auth: PGPMoose V1.1 PGP comp.os.linux.announce + iQBVAwUBMnczrjiesvPHtqnBAQEO6gH/WRtFpTPyVtwi0cFVPZ1Xhn8cvfb6i3mk + LQY2kgpAPquP2TeXYWb5Ta3HxqK15pR1AgaEy5BmPS6+66ixZFvKRQ== + =hhea + +-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- + +linux-2.0.21-transname.patch enables diskless clients, X-terminals etc to +mount the *root filesystem* of the server. This makes administration of +large pools *a lot* easier. + +Currently different diskless clients must have their root "/" on different +directories on the server, beause each client has _some_ different +configuration files. However, most administration files (typically about 99%) +have the same contents on the clients and on the server, but have to be +(and maintained separately) just because of the 1% differences. + +This duplication causes very large efforts in practice, since at least +the /etc directory has to be duplicated for every client. Even in /etc +many files are identical, for example sendmail.cf, initrc scripts and +others. Maintaining a large pool means to ensure coherence amoung the +duplicates. Classical methods like symlinks are unconvenient +for this task because they have to be valid in the view of mounted +filesystems at the client, not at the server. + +linux-2.0-transname.patch overcomes this problem by allowing filenames +to be context-dependend. For example, if you have a file "/etc/config" +that should differ on the hosts "myserver" and "myclient", you just +create two different files named "/etc/config#host=myserver#" and +"/etc/config#host=myclient#". On host "myserver", the file +"/etc/config#host=myserver#" will appear as if it were hardlinked to +file "/etc/config" (without the #...=...# suffix). On host "myclient", +the corresponding other file will appear as "/etc/config". So you +can access the right file contents under the same name, depending +on which host you are. + +As a result, you may use different contexts for e.g. /etc/fstab, but +have one shared /etc/passwd for all pool machines. So you don't need +yp or NYS any more. + +The kernel patch was developped for and is used at our Linux pool at the +University of Stuttgart with good results. Maintainance of the pool is +at a minimum, and adding new clients is a child's play. No worry with +keeping up mail configurations, newly installed tools, changed /etc/services, +/etc/shells, /etc/resolv.conf and many, many others. In contrast to a +sophisticated symlink solution, adding a new file to the /etc directory +is seen immediately by all clients. I never had less trouble with +administration before. + +I just uploaded the patch to + ftp://ftp.lmh.ox.ac.uk + where it should appear in /pub/linux-kernel-patch-archive/ +and also to + ftp://sunsite.unc.edu/pub/Linux/Incoming/ + where it should be moved to /pub/Linux/kernel/patches/misc/ soon. + +More details can be found in the README there, and also in the +configure-help. + +Enjoy, + +- -- Thomas + + +-----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- +Version: 2.6.3i +Charset: noconv + +iQCVAwUBMnczhYQRll5MupLRAQHzuwP9HGYa4I3bZpt22Y3oQIwEKZGfvnaS5AaD +fVG8wOQ/T7Nrant9JtTktsTVlxGVlYVnziRY4c0ew2qExapK9FqY/ItN0NJXy5aT +a4eSkn86rp6Un7m90RK1xVY5AyVAq49Rdw2StGxr7uj+davnmg3Np+U0MiAILq91 +52jKGaR3fvc= +=LSD6 +-----END PGP SIGNATURE----- + +-- +This article has been digitally signed by the moderator, using PGP. +http://www.iki.fi/liw/lars-public-key.asc has PGP key for validating signature. +Send submissions for comp.os.linux.announce to: linux-announce@news.ornl.gov +PLEASE remember a short description of the software and the LOCATION. +This group is archived at http://www.iki.fi/liw/linux/cola.html |