[Beowulf] managing debian packages

[Yaroslav Halchenko]

Hello to all Beowulfers,

A simple question: so we have cfengine2 to manage configs  through the
hosts. But its "packages" section is quite handicaped so there is a
question: how do you manage installing packages on  nodes which
some times might differ a bit but most often have the same set of
packages. I have in mind Debian packaging system

In my case what I do is

1. Install required package on a main node, so if it has any dialog
which tweaks configuration - I adjust it so it fits my needs.

2. I ran cfegines through the cluster, so they pick up updated 
/var/cache/debconf/config.dat

3. Using favorite dsh I install the same package in parallel on all the
nodes in non-interactive regime, so it grabs answers for possible
questions from debconf.

This way everything is kinda right.

Other ways would be: install on all the nodes from the beginning in
non-interactive. I don't like such option because it is quite often that
default config has to be tweaked in  slight way suggested by debconf,
but if you don't get dialog - you will not tweak it... 

or indeed my way is overkill?

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Yaroslav Halchenko              /(   )\               ICQ#: 60653192
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