cdist-backup/doc/internal/provider-integration

This document is a brainstorming document,
on how to integrate providers. Providers
had been "type" in previous discussion.

Proposed/discussed structures:

1) 2010-11-02
   $basedir/$type/
      properties/
         name/
            required # required | optional
         choices  # \n liste
            

      meta/
         default (shell script)
      providers/
         pukman/

2) 2010-11-09

How to write my own type named "coffee":

   Create the directory /etc/cdist/types/coffee/
   Create the file /etc/cdist/types/coffee/README containing a description of the 
type.
   If your type supports attributes, create the directory /etc/cdist/types/coffee/
attributes.
   For each attribute, create the file
      /etc/cdist/types/coffee/attributes/$attribute_name which contains

      a short description on the first line
      then a blank line
      then a long description (probably over several lines)

   If you think your type may be useful for others, submit it for inclusion
   into cdist at cdist -- at -- l.schottelius.org.

   Create /etc/cdist/types/coffee/init which reads $configinput
   (either via cconfig or via environment) and outputs a block of
   shell code suitable for running on the client.



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
cdist view on providers:

How providers are integrated/run:

   - If cdist encounters provider in manifest,
     a wrapper script is run, that creates a
     new entry in the cconfig database and adds
     attribute values:
      
      conf/__file/cdist_bin/source
      conf/__file/cdist_bin/destination

   - In this stage, no conflicts may occur, as
     no provider code has been called (i.e. only
     manifests, which map config to hosts is
     applied).