[Opensim-dev] Round 2: Config changes preview

[Justin Clark-Casey]

Thanks for the feedback from round 1.  I've just uploaded a new preview as

config.preview.donotuseyet-v2

In this version I've done away with all the subdirectories.  There is now a simpler structure

config/OpenSim.ini.example
config/defaults
config/override

defaults/ is a single directory containing *.ini.defaults files.  I've collapsed many of the previously separate 
*.ini.example files into fewer *.ini.defaults files (for instance, scriptengines.ini.defaults now contains all the 
script engine settings and external.ini.defaults has the settings which control the data exposed externally by OpenSim).

To override the defaults, one would either

(a) copy the appropriate *.ini.defaults file into config/override/*.ini, or
(b) copy and paste the appropriate section directly into config/OpenSim.ini.  These instructions are also in READMEs in 
the config directory itself.

To get OpenSim to run at all, the user still has to copy OpenSim.ini.example to OpenSim.ini (though it should be 
possible to override this if config is supplied over the network).  I feel this is important to get users to give some 
thought to the most crucial config settings.  Others may disagree.

In case it wasn't clear before, if you don't need to override the defaults then you don't need to make any changes.  If 
a particular setting isn't present in an .ini file then there will always be a built-in default which matches that in an 
*.ini.default file.

I'm also now proposing the bin/OpenSim.ini[.example] move up into bin/config/OpenSim.ini[.example].  To have OpenSim.ini 
outside the config/ directory seems a little confusing to me.  Naturally, there can be a period where bin/OpenSim.ini is 
still picked up.

I'm also going to reply to specific points from round 1 below.  As before, constructive feedback or approval on this is 
welcomed.  I probably won't be changing this again before next week.  I'm very happy if people want to tweak the 
structure, especially if some of the *.ini.defaults categorizations are wrong.  But please put any radically different 
proposals in a separate config preview directory.



ANSWERS TO SPECIFIC POINTS

@Mike, DrScofield, Paul - As you can see, I have simplified the structure.  I did look at lighttpd.  One restriction I 
think we have is that we can't rely on config by symlink as we're on Windows.  Also, in this structure we're overriding 
defaults rather than enabling modules that didn't exist before.

@Paul - I agree with you about the ease of use of a GUI, but afaik most server projects do not come bundled with them. 
Rather, they are developed and maintained separately.

@Tom, Ovi, Paul - Although a single config file is ideal, ours is getting confusing.  It's a certainty that it will grow 
yet larger.  This is an attempt (picking up from MW's initial work and discussion) to find a structure that will allow 
growth in the future without overwhelming newbies.  Having said that, I believe all the 95% settings should remain in 
OpenSim.ini.example.  If they aren't there are the moment or the existing defaults are inappropriate then this can be 
separately addressed.

@Ai - You're right about the grid settings - these will need to be brought into a config/ structure (and from what I've 
previously heard, there are no objections to making the format of these conform to the Nini way of doing thigns).

@Sean - In both this structure and in the previous proposal it's quite possible just to set everything in OpenSim.ini as 
can be done at the moment.  This config/ proposal is actually orthogonal to the --inimaster idea, so it should be 
possible to set everything via the network if desired.).


-- 
justincc
Justin Clark-Casey
http://justincc.wordpress.com