On Wed, 2007-09-05 at 16:01 -0700, Peter Broadwell wrote: > Al - > > The sample man page looks much improved over the old stuff, thanks. > > The "header comments" also seem like a step in the right direction. > In addition to what you mention: > > # This section is for configuring blah blah blah. > # For most systems you want to configure blah blah blah. > > a comment or two like: > > # blah blah blah lets you set the serial port parameters and > # must be changed in coordination with the bleh bleh bleh. > > would aid in navigating/tying the IPMI space together...
Sounds like a plan. I'll add that into my TODO. Thanks for the comments, Al > ;;peter > > > > Al Chu wrote: > > Hey Peter, > > > >> Perhaps what is needed is a wiki or some such where real world > >> problem/solutions examples can accumulate? > > > > For FreeIPMI 0.5.0, I've been adding a lot of additional information to > > the FreeIPMI manpages. For example: > > > > --- > > GENERAL USE > > Most users of bmc-config will want to: > > > > A) Run bmc-config with --checkout to get a copy of the current > > BMC configuration and store it in a file. The standard output > > can be redirected to a file or a file can be specified with the > > --filename option. > > > > B) Edit the configuration file with an editor. See bmc- > > config.conf(5) for information on what the fields in the configuration > > file mean. > > > > C) Commit the configuration back to the BMC using the --commit > > option and specifying the configuration file with the --filename > > option. > > > > For users with large clusters or sets of nodes, you may wish to > > use the same configuration file for all nodes. The one problem > > with this is that the IP address and MAC address will be > > different on each node in your cluster and thus can't be configured > > through the same config file. The IP address and MAC address in > > your config file may be overwritten on the command line using > > --key-pair option. The following example could be used in a > > script to configure each node in a cluster with the same BMC config > > file. The script only needs to determine the correct IP address > > and MAC address to use. > > > > # bmc-config --commit -k Lan_Conf:Ip_Address=$MY_IP -k > > Lan_Conf:Mac_Address=$MY_MAC -f my_bmc.conf > > --- > > > > Hopefully text like that will get users going where-as it may have been > > more confusing before. I also have pointers to bmc-config.conf(5) > > (whereas there wasn't a pointer before, so most would not have seen the > > manpage). There are also trouble-shooting sections for generic issues. > > I don't currently have a bmc-config specific trouble-shooting section. > > Do you think that would be useful? What kind of stuff do you think > > should be in it? > > > > Another thought I've had is adding additional sectional "header > > comments" into the sections bmc-config checkout. So for example: > > > > # > > # Section LAN_Conf > > # > > # This section is for configuring blah blah blah. For most > > # systems you want to configure blah blah blah. > > Section LAN_Conf > > ... > > EndSection > > > > So that might give the user additional help in setting up their system. > > Do you think that would really help? > > > >> Where can a user find out if their machine supports SOL, and what > >> could they do with it if it did? (rhetorical question, but was real > >> for me once.) > > > > Hmmm. That's a far harder question. Outside of a specific list, I'm > > not really sure what could be done. Some vendors in the past have said > > they support IPMI when they don't. :-) > > > > Al > > > > On Wed, 2007-09-05 at 15:24 -0700, Peter Broadwell wrote: > >> This is understandable. > >> Loosing the commented template is sad however. > >> > >> Perhaps what is needed is a wiki or some such where real world > >> problem/solutions examples can accumulate? > >> > >> Where can a user find out if their machine supports SOL, and what > >> could they do with it if it did? > >> (rhetorical question, but was real for me once.) > >> > >> ;;peter > >> > >> > >> Al Chu wrote: > >>> I had begun working on a template to store in the docs directory, with > >>> comments throughout the file to inform the user of what they should > >>> configure on their own. > >>> > >>> However, with so many different BMCs and vendor implementations out > >>> there, a substantial portion of the default template will fail for > >>> different users and different hardware. I think that will simply cause > >>> confusion. For example, a user may believe they have SOL configured > >>> properly when their machine may not support SOL. > >>> > >>> I'm more inclined to let the user run --checkout on their own, since it > >>> will allow the user to configure exactly what is available for their > >>> machine. It is the model that LLNL and most users of FreeIPMI (that > >>> I've spoken to) follow. > >>> > >>> So for the time being, I've removed bmc-autoconfig. If it can be > >>> revamped to handle SOL, varying number of users, passwords, varying BMC > >>> implementations, etc. I think we can add it back in. > >>> > >>> Al > >>> > >>> On Thu, 2007-08-30 at 10:14 -0700, Al Chu wrote: > >>>> I have been working with a user on a BMC config issue with their > >>>> machine. I'm now disinclined to support the committing of a default > >>>> template. > >>>> > >>>> 1) Many different machines support different configuration options. > >>>> Included in this are: ipmi 1.5 only options vs ipmi 2.0 options vs. > >>>> optionally supported options vs. newer errata options vs. flat out > >>>> unsupported options. So do we support the full template (so most > >>>> options will fail by default) or do we support a minimal template (most > >>>> options aren't listed). > >>>> > >>>> 2) Due to the IP address and MAC address being required for modification > >>>> (and likely subnet + gateway too), at minimum, the user must edit the > >>>> template anyways, we cannot create a default template that will work > >>>> without modification. > >>>> > >>>> I think the better idea is to store a template in the docs location and > >>>> mention it in the bmc-config manpage. I have also written into the bmc- > >>>> config manpage some general use instructions, so they know they should > >>>> run --checkout to create a config template first. > >>>> > >>>> Any thoughts? > >>>> > >>>> Al > >>>> > >>>> On Fri, 2007-08-17 at 11:18 -0700, Anand Babu Periasamy wrote: > >>>>> Hi Al, > >>>>> I am thinking, if we produce $prefix/etc/freeipmi/bmc-config.conf with > >>>>> fully documented options and default values, bmc-autoconfig's goal can > >>>>> be achieved. Additionally it can be used for automation too. > >>>>> bmc-config will use this config file if none is specified through the > >>>>> command line argument. Then we can get rid of bmc-autoconfig. What do > >>>>> you think? > >>>>> > >>>>> Al Chu writes: > >>>>> > >>>>>> I just thought of this. We could also distribute a common template > >>>>>> file > >>>>>> as part of FreeIPMI and install it in the docs dir? I guess my semi- > >>>>>> argument against this is the fact that we've (practically) already > >>>>>> distributed a template file with the bmc-config.conf(5) manpage. So > >>>>>> would there be a need? > >>>>>> > >>>>>> What are people's thoughts? > >>>>>> > >>>>>> Al > >>>>>> > >>>>>> On Tue, 2007-08-14 at 11:01 -0700, Peter Broadwell wrote: > >>>>>>> I have need to configure many machines at the same time and if the > >>>>>>> templateing > >>>>>>> file was documented this tool might become the one of choice for such > >>>>>>> uses. > >>>>>>> > >>>>>>> ;;peter > >>>>>>> > >>>>>>> > >>>>>>> Anand Babu Periasamy wrote: > >>>>>>>> Hi Al, > >>>>>>>> * It is still maintained. > >>>>>>>> * BMC-Autoconfig is not a GUI wizard for bmc-config. It is supposed > >>>>>>>> to > >>>>>>>> ask minimum questions from the user and automatically configure the > >>>>>>>> BMC with known defaults. It is intended for users without any > >>>>>>>> knowledge of IPMI to quickly get a basic working setup. > >>>>>>>> > >>>>>>>> * It does enable LAN and configure NULL, admin, operator and ipmiuser > >>>>>>>> accounts. See the template file, you will get an idea what all it > >>>>>>>> configures. > >>>>>>>> If you have suggestions to improve, let us know? > >>>>>>>> > >>>>>>>> Albert Chu writes: > >>>>>>>> > >>>>>>>>> I'm thinking of dropping this from FreeIPMI: > >>>>>>>>> > >>>>>>>>> A) It doesn't seem to be maintained by the original authors. > >>>>>>>>> > >>>>>>>>> B) It apparenly only configures 3 fields of the BMC. No users, lan > >>>>>>>>> enabling, etc. > >>>>>>>>> > >>>>>>>>> I don't really see the use anymore. Any comments? Anyone out there > >>>>>>>>> using > >>>>>>>>> this? > >>>>>>>>> > >>>>>>>>> Al > >>>>>>>>> > >>>>>>>>> -- > >>>>>> -- > >>>>>> Albert Chu > >>>>>> [EMAIL PROTECTED] > >>>>>> 925-422-5311 > >>>>>> Computer Scientist > >>>>>> High Performance Systems Division > >>>>>> Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory -- Albert Chu [EMAIL PROTECTED] 925-422-5311 Computer Scientist High Performance Systems Division Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory _______________________________________________ Freeipmi-devel mailing list [email protected] http://lists.gnu.org/mailman/listinfo/freeipmi-devel
