[Opensim-dev] Round 2: Config changes preview

[Stefan Andersson]

Some random thoughts;

 

Our config files serves three purposes, as it seems

a) specifying default values (though why on earth these are ever different from the hardcoded defaults escapes me)

b) specifying user overriding values

c) documenting available settings and their use

d) pushing changing defaults from the svn to installed instances

 

I think we need to address these concerns separately.

 

As I understand it, the config dir is so that we can

a) split humongous default config files into smaller ones

b) to be able to 'drop' module default config files into an installation without having to merge them into one big ini.

 

I think the settings can be split thrice;

1) Stuff that _must_ be reconfigured per installation : ip number, shared ports and stuff like that. (All users, should need no expertise)

2) Stuff that _can_ be reconfigured per installation. (Special installation cases, needs some knowledge)

3) Stuff that _seldom_ needs tampering. (Advanced user, special installation)

 

I would suggest we break free of the current mindset and think about how 1) could be solved differently.

 

Maybe we should say "either supply these settings on the command line, or create an OpenSim.ini file, look at OpenSim.ini.example for an example"

 

Most users would probably go a long way just by specifying the 1) params on the command line.

 

Of course, the created OpenSim.ini should need to be a bare minimum, and would probably need to change very seldom.
 
Best regards,
Stefan Andersson
Tribal Media AB



 
> Date: Sat, 14 Mar 2009 04:25:25 -0700
> From: aerowolf at gmail.com
> To: opensim-dev at lists.berlios.de
> CC: opensim-users at lists.berlios.de
> Subject: Re: [Opensim-dev] Round 2: Config changes preview
> 
> because many people run their servers from inside their bin/
> directory, and if it's named OpenSim.ini then any changes that are
> made to that file will get overwritten (not just overridden) at the
> next svn update.
> 
> That's why it was renamed to OpenSim.ini.example -- originally, it was
> set to OpenSim.ini, and that problem was pretty much the number one
> support issue at that time.
> 
> -Kyle H
> 
> On Fri, Mar 13, 2009 at 5:00 PM, Paul Fishwick <fishwick at cise.ufl.edu> wrote:
> > Justin Clark-Casey wrote:
> >> 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).
> >
> > This may be a silly question, but is there some reason why we keep on
> > suggesting
> > that people copy OpenSim.ini.example to OpenSim.ini? Why not just make
> > OpenSim.ini what happens to be in OpenSim.ini.example?
> >
> > -p
> >
> >
> > Paul Fishwick, PhD
> > Professor and Director, Digital Arts and Sciences Programs
> > University of Florida
> > Computer & Information Science and Eng. Dept.
> > Bldg. CSE, Room 301
> > P.O. Box 116120
> > Gainesville, FL 32611
> > Email: fishwick at cise.ufl.edu
> > Phone: (352) 392-1414
> > Fax: (352) 392-1220
> > Web: http://www.cise.ufl.edu/~fishwick
> >
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