Idea for a spec

[Carl Karsten]

>> When is the client added to the domain? I can think of a couple of cases -
> 
> Both build-time and ad-hoc would be nice.  I was thinking of
> encapsulating this part in a meta-package ("ubuntu-domain-client" or
> somesuch), which would in turn bring in all the required packages and
> execute the setup script.  But everything is on the table, I have not
> thought out all the details.  I think the simpler is the better, at
> least at first.

Using the Director/Drone terms

The Drone package could just contain what is needed to 'connect' to the 
Director.  The Director would then dictate what additional packages need to be 
installed.

I guess the Drone would also need to be given a name.  So only 2 things to 
config on the client: Drone name and Director.

Hmm, with DHCP you might even be able to automate that so that the whole thing 
is setup on the Director.  From working with DDNS and dynamic host name, you 
might be able to do the following:

Drone's initial /etc/dhcp3/dhclient.conf
send dhcp-client-identifier UbuntuUnconfigedDrone ;

That would be the same for all Drones everywhere.  They would then be given a 
unique ID from

Director's /etc/dhcp3/dhcpd.conf
group {
dhcp-client-identifier UbuntuUnconfigedDrone ;
# Option 12: Host Name = "UbuntuUnconfigedDroneXXX" where XXX = last octant of 
IP in decimal (or use the whole IP, this is just what I had handy)
option host-name=concat("drone", binary-to-ascii(10, 8, "-", 
suffix(leased-address,1) ) ) ;

UbuntuUnconfigedDrone123 would be sent to DDNS, and also sent to a table of 
drones.  Now the Director has access to the list of Drones that are on line and 
the GUI can use that to define the config of each Drone.  The first thing that 
would be done is a permanent name be assigned and the Drone's dhclient.conf 
rewritten and a Fixed-IP setup in Director's dhcpd.conf.

With this setup I can see replacing a Drone box very easily: put install CD and 
key media in new box, pick Drone.  when install is done, 
UbuntuUnconfigedDrone123 shows up on Director's unconfiged list.  have an option 
to move an existing config to the new box.  Director would take care of 
installing packages and copying the conf files, maybe even data files?  When 
that is done, Director can halt the old box, tell the new box to dhcp itself 
which will grab the same Fixed IP so clients don't even need to refresh dns 
caches or anything.

Yeah, that probably won't work quit that smoothly, but that is the sort of goal 
we are trying to obtain, right?

C