RE: [Thinstation-general] The structure of ts.conf.buildtime

[Matthew E. B. <mbe...@le...>]

As an addition to my previous E-Mail, I can see why Miles might want to keep
the ts.conf.buildtime as clean as possible.  It is tempting to put too much
information in a locally built file, and rather difficult to change it once
you do.  If the ts.conf.buildtime were a full conf file, more people would
be tempted just to use it without exploring the more manageable options.  I
think that both sides are valid, which is why I suggested the compromise of
adding another .conf file loaded locally between the ts.conf.buildtime and
the ts.conf.network.  This allows for a very clean ts.conf.buildtime for
those people who don't need local options, and a more detailed
ts.conf.localboot for those people who find they need it.

I think, btw, that by default, TS should come with a ts.conf.localboot that
is just comments so there aren't a whole bunch of undesired defaults running
around out there.  Maybe something like this:

# This file, thinstation.conf.localboot, is used to set defaults for a
# ThinStation that boots from local storage, so it can function without a
# TFTP server.  If you find you need this option, just copy the
# thinstation.conf.example file over this one, and then set your options.

Matthew E. Bernold

-----Original Message-----
From: Mike Eriksen [mailto:km...@ma...]
Sent: Thursday, July 15, 2004 6:39 PM
To: thi...@li...
Subject: [Thinstation-general] The structure of ts.conf.buildtime


Miles and I recently had a private e-mail exchange on something else, that 
ended up being an discussion on the structure of 
thinstation.conf.buildtime ("buildtime"). We've decided to start it again 
here publically to get your opinion.

Miles obviously wants buildtime to be as it is (otherwise he'd changed it
already :-)

I want to change buildtime to be as ts.conf.example. e.g. with the 
complete setup, which is perfectly possible as things are now. No code has
to be changed.

My arguments are:

For boot from local devices you really need a complete buildtime, not just 
the cut down version with network settings only. OK, if you boot from a RW 
device, you may get around the problem by using a ts.conf.user, but for a 
CD there is no way you can avoid putting everything in buildtime as it is 
RO. Even with loadlin on a RW device a ts.conf.user is impossible due to 
the DOS 8.3 file name convention (and I guess the same goes for syslinux,
but I never tried).

Also it makes a lot of sense to me to build any image with useful 
defaults, so things can fail gracefully.
 
Since all the ts.conf(.buildtime, .network, .user, .group-<name>, -<name>, 
-<ip>, -<mac>) really are identical in structure, I think that having an 
apparently different buildtime file is confusing.

Comments?

Mike
-- 
Thinstation FAQ maintainer
http://thinstation.sourceforge.net
- a light, full featured linux based thin client OS


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