Allow to override /etc dir location

[novel]

Some systems, e.g. FreeBSD, place third-part software configuration files in /usr/local/etc instead of /etc.

Extend the install command to accept "etcprefix" option used for global configuration paths. By default it's "/", so it keeps the current behaviour unchanged.

[clebergnu]

Hi @novel,

Thanks for raising and addressing this issue. Unfortunately, I see a few blockers in your implementation, but also a better way to solve this issue.

The path for the system-wide configuration files are defined in avocado/core/settings.py. We can either add a precedence of /usr/local if the systems you mention really do not use /etc for configuration, OR, we can implement a Settings plugin which contains a adjust_settings_path() implementation that adds usr/local to the path.

Let me know if you need help pursuing these options.

Thanks!

[novel]

Hi @novel,

Thanks for raising and addressing this issue. Unfortunately, I see a few blockers in your implementation, but also a better way to solve this issue.

Thanks for the response!

The path for the system-wide configuration files are defined in avocado/core/settings.py. We can either add a precedence of /usr/local if the systems you mention really do not use /etc for configuration, OR, we can implement a Settings plugin which contains a adjust_settings_path() implementation that adds usr/local to the path.

FreeBSD does use /etc for configuration, but only for a base system configuration. Third party software configuration should be in /usr/local/etc. More details about that: https://man.freebsd.org/cgi/man.cgi?hier(7)

Regarding the change, I think I'm modifying avocado/core/settings.py already. I also wanted to make it configurable, so users could choose some prefix other than "/usr/local", that's why there is some additional layer over there.

Plugin is an interesting idea, I didn't think about doing it this way. Though, IIUC, that's of a runtime solution rather then install-time tunable. I think I don't have use cases right now to change that in runtime, not sure about others.

Let me know if you need help pursuing these options.

Thanks!

[clebergnu]

Hi @novel,
Thanks for raising and addressing this issue. Unfortunately, I see a few blockers in your implementation, but also a better way to solve this issue.

Thanks for the response!

The path for the system-wide configuration files are defined in avocado/core/settings.py. We can either add a precedence of /usr/local if the systems you mention really do not use /etc for configuration, OR, we can implement a Settings plugin which contains a adjust_settings_path() implementation that adds usr/local to the path.

FreeBSD does use /etc for configuration, but only for a base system configuration. Third party software configuration should be in /usr/local/etc. More details about that: https://man.freebsd.org/cgi/man.cgi?hier(7)

That's enough to make Avocado (under FreeBSD at least) to look for configuration in /usr/local. I guess we can easily detect it using platform.system().

Regarding the change, I think I'm modifying avocado/core/settings.py already. I also wanted to make it configurable, so users could choose some prefix other than "/usr/local", that's why there is some additional layer over there.

Plugin is an interesting idea, I didn't think about doing it this way. Though, IIUC, that's of a runtime solution rather then install-time tunable. I think I don't have use cases right now to change that in runtime, not sure about others.

I'm not sure I got what you meant here. I'll write a patch with the /usr/local support in FreeBSD and then you can try it out and review it.

Thanks!

Let me know if you need help pursuing these options.
Thanks!

[clebergnu]

@novel please take a look at #6171

[novel]

I'm not sure I got what you meant here.

I mean, there are two approaches to address that:

1. Every time during program execution we try to determine where to look up config files (that's what I call run time)
2. Detect the path only once during install and save this value to reuse it for every execution (that's what I call install time).

Generally, both ways work for me.