Essentially, you want a CVS (or equivalent tool) for the system administrator. This could be a project management tool for OS binary or source releases and updates. The CVS concept would be able to manage the synchronization with current source as it does now, and could include binary. Then you need: 1a. A place to store specifications for each system configuration 1b. A place to specify each port, options and flags required, per system 1c. Delivery/timing/synchronization parameters for each system or group of systems. 2. A flag in each independent component to indicate binary replacement or source recompile. 3. A flag for each component indicating backward compatibility or not. 4. A way to synchronize non-backward compatible upgrades 5. Port like compile code to bin upgrade and/or build new binaries 6. A way to indicate component upgrades that cause cascade(s) of upgrades/recompiles, and which those are. It appears that many of the components to build such a system exist in partial or full form. The problem I have in going deeper is that my understanding of many parts of FreeBSD is not very deep, so I can't tell if my proposal is a valid starting point. Comments? BillN Poul-Henning wrote:> It's what people are used to, but it is not what they want. > > It would be much better to invest time in developing a configuration > management system that allows the system administrators of FreeBSD > installations to do their job more effectively than to spend time > giving them the tool they know inwards and outwards is not an > effective way to do their job. > > The assignment is simple, and with creative thinking maybe the solution is > also: > > Bring to system administration what source code version > control brought to programming. > > Merry Xmas, > > Poul-Henning