Date: Sun, 10 Oct 2021 15:26:42 -0700 From: "Russell L. Carter" <rcarter@pinyon.org> To: questions@freebsd.org Subject: Re: best software for managing multiple freebsd & linux machines ? Message-ID: <31ee138b-243f-ad88-aa46-9cbf5204aa03@pinyon.org> In-Reply-To: <YWNPxSlhowr0SwHt@ceres.zyxst.net> References: <YWMHYDbyRyAVAhWa@ceres.zyxst.net> <cffbffec-acc0-9d86-f990-1bdab49abfce@holgerdanske.com> <YWNPxSlhowr0SwHt@ceres.zyxst.net>
next in thread | previous in thread | raw e-mail | index | archive | help
On 10/10/21 13:40, tech-lists wrote: > On Sun, Oct 10, 2021 at 12:20:29PM -0700, David Christensen wrote: > >> I have a SOHO network that I administer using SSH, Vim, CVS, various >> userland tools, and homebrew scripts (Bourne, Bash, and Perl). The most >> important element is a networked version control system. >> >> If and when I need to administer many machines, I will learn a >> configuration management tool (most likely Ansible, because it is >> recommended by MWL). > > Thanks for this. After looking at puppet for an hr or so, it's looking > to me like it's a tad too complex for my needs right now. But it might > be useful in eg having to restart a load of servers without logging into > each one via ssh. > > I'm looking at sshfs atm - could make a dir for each machine and sshfs > into each from the host using keys. At least the sshfs way is not having > to run servers that would not otherwise be run. I can't restart services > this way though. After 25+ years of multiple FreeBSD + Linux boxes, never more than ten, I use the following maximally stupid configuration management. I use a single machine to keep host specific files git vc'd, and then I just write scripts for tasks and rsync them over and execute them from the config box via ssh. The basic idea I got from saltstack, aka sysutils/py-salt. py-salt I had running like a dream, until I ran afoul of a 2.7->3 python problem, and then I was uh, stuck. No more language dependencies for my configuration control. I have been expecting to need some simple templating that I would probably do with awk, but I haven't needed to yet. It also took me a couple of months off and on to fully grok py-salt. I suspect that investment in time needs to be paid for just about any enterprise ready configuration system. As it happens the time I put into py-salt wasn't wasted, since I needed to understand how to organize remote artifacts and actions anyway. And then I applied those same techniques to building a borg-backup configuration that backs all of my systems up to a single account, so I don't want to discourage learning a robust CMS. Russell
Want to link to this message? Use this URL: <https://mail-archive.FreeBSD.org/cgi/mid.cgi?31ee138b-243f-ad88-aa46-9cbf5204aa03>