Article View: comp.sources.testers
Article #11CFR: "rcinfo" - a utility to configure shell environments
From: Andrew Patrick as CSR Moderator
Date: Wed, 09 Sep 1992 19:09
Date: Wed, 09 Sep 1992 19:09
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This is a Call for Reviewers for a new submission to the newsgroup
"comp.sources.reviewed". Instructions for responding to this CFR are
included at the end of this message.
Submission Name: rcinfo
Environment: Unix
Number of shar parts: 3
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Description
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In todays world of heterogenious local area networks it is becoming
increasingly difficult to configure users environments. There is lots
of machine specific stuff to be done to achieve a skin-thight but
working one. In order to do this, users have to gain a certain degree
of expertise. This is more and more unrealistic to expect as UNIX
becomes an OS for end users.
On the administrative side, it is a BIG problem to change - say 500 -
shell initialization files every time a change to the installed software
packages is made.
Environments too large are a cause for performance penalties, since
machines resources may get wasted.
The idea behind rcinfo is to have a system or network wide database
describing a complete environment for every machine, workinggroup,
shell, .. There also is a simple way to exclude parts of the complete
environment.
It materialized in a simple programming language for describing the
database and a program to retrieve this information, generating
appropriate output for a set of different shells.
Though rcinfo is intended for use with UNIX (BSD) systems it should be
easy to port to different worlds such as DOS and VMS. In its most basic
form rcinfo does not require anything special, but an ANSI C compiler.
Any variant of gcc will do. A more sophisticated version requires you
to have BIND running as it is being (ab)used as the network wide
database.
Rcinfo is currently running under SunOS 4.1.x, Ultrix 4.x, AIX 3.1.5.
Early versions also ran under NeXT OS. However, work on rcinfo has
proceeded since then.
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Instructions for Responding
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If you are interested in reviewing this submission, simply reply to
this message via e-mail and complete the following information:
Name:
(in the form "surname.firstname")
Note: CSR defines a name in "dot" format as "surname.firstname" and uses
it to keep track of reviewers. The following rules are applied when
creating the name:
- all characters are lower case
- all special characters (dashes, accents, apostrophes, etc.)
are removed
If you are a new reviewer, you should also complete the following
information:
Full Name:
(in normal format "Firstname Surname")
E-mail Address:
(in the form "user@host.sub.domain (Firstname Surname)")
I need the Guidelines for Reviewers (YES or NO):
The parts of the submission will then be mailed to you.
--
Andrew Patrick acting as Comp.Sources.Reviewed Moderator
Department of Communications, Ottawa, CANADA
csr@calvin.dgbt.doc.CA
Technical Details
Message-ID:
<1992Sep9.190916.10812@rick.dgbt.doc.ca>Path:
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Complete Article Headers
Newsgroups: comp.sources.testers,comp.sources.d,comp.unix.admin,comp.unix.shell Path: arc1-ca.pugleaf.net!sparky!uunet!utcsri!torn!cunews!dgbt!rick.dgbt.doc.ca!calvin.dgbt.doc.ca!csr From: csr@calvin.dgbt.doc.ca (Andrew Patrick as CSR Moderator) Subject: CFR: "rcinfo" - a utility to configure shell environments Message-ID: <1992Sep9.190916.10812@rick.dgbt.doc.ca> Followup-To: comp.sources.testers Sender: news@rick.dgbt.doc.ca Nntp-Posting-Host: calvin.dgbt.doc.ca Organization: Communications Research Centre, Ottawa Date: Wed, 9 Sep 1992 19:09:16 GMT Lines: 81