[Wolves] Software management on networks

[David Goodwin]

Stuart Langridge wrote:
>>Yes...... but you can hack debconf (/etc/debconf.conf) to have another
>>config db in it; then your update script can fetch new "answers" to
>>questions it may not yet have seen before trying to install new packages.
> 
> 
> Yes, you can do that. The point here is that there are lots of these
> tricky little bits to be taken into account, which is why a design for
> this new deployment system which just says "ssh in to all your
> machines and do apt-get upgrade" doesn't cover all the bases, and why
> I'd like to see someh=one hash it out in a bit more detail...

Yes... we (Clockwork) discovered this all a couple of years ago with one 
particular $customer.....

Regardless of the above discussion, the deployment of software across 
large networks isn't easy - for a start you can guarantee that the 
client hardware will not be the same, which results in lots of testing, 
and then you run into problems when ONE pc has a special requirement - 
do you go through the hassle of repacking $package (and retesting it) to 
have $special_case_code in it; or do you alternatively have to remember 
that if $x is updated, $special_case will be affected... etc etc.

Blah.

David.
ihatephpbb

-- 
David Goodwin
w: http://www.clocksoft.co.uk
e: david.goodwin at clocksoft.com
t: 0121 313 3850