[Opensim-dev] Round 2: Config changes preview

[Sean Hennessee]

Does this allow for creating a single file, (e.g. mysettings.ini), in 
the override directory which I can use to override all my settings, 
which would essentially be a small subset of the OpenSim.ini file? (It 
looks like it does, but I'd like to confirm.)

Peace,
Sean

Justin Clark-Casey wrote:
> 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.).
>
>
>   

-- 

Sean Hennessee
Central Computing Support
Network & Academic Computing Services
UC Irvine


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