[systemd-devel] [PATCH 1/4] Add ENVIRONMENT to hostnamectl

[Tollef Fog Heen]

]] Lennart Poettering 

> On Tue, 08.07.14 02:55, Kay Sievers (kay at vrfy.org) wrote:
> 
> > On Tue, Jul 8, 2014 at 2:38 AM, Jóhann B. Guðmundsson
> > <johannbg at gmail.com> wrote:
> > > ---
> > >  src/hostname/hostnamectl.c | 20 +++++++++++++++++---
> > >  1 file changed, 17 insertions(+), 3 deletions(-)
> > >
> > > diff --git a/src/hostname/hostnamectl.c b/src/hostname/hostnamectl.c
> > > index 267cd74..e164086 100644
> > > --- a/src/hostname/hostnamectl.c
> > > +++ b/src/hostname/hostnamectl.c
> > > @@ -67,6 +67,7 @@ typedef struct StatusInfo {
> > >          char *pretty_hostname;
> > >          char *icon_name;
> > >          char *chassis;
> > > +        char *environment;
> > >          char *kernel_name;
> > >          char *kernel_release;
> > >          char *os_pretty_name;
> > > @@ -92,9 +93,11 @@ static void print_status_info(StatusInfo *i) {
> > >                  printf("Transient hostname: %s\n", i->hostname);
> > >
> > >          printf("         Icon name: %s\n"
> > > -               "           Chassis: %s\n",
> > > +               "           Chassis: %s\n"
> > > +               "           Environment: %s\n",
> > 
> > Shouldn't we possibly we find a word for "environment" which explains
> > itself a bit better? Environment we usually call the numerous
> > variables of a process or service.
> 
> Yeah, I don't really like "environment" as name for this either. This is
> already used quite commonly in the environment variable sense, we
> shouldn't redefine this in this comment.

It's the term which is generally used when talking about, well,
environments, though.

See http://docs.puppetlabs.com/puppet/latest/reference/environments.html
for puppet's use of the term, or
http://docs.opscode.com/essentials_environments.html for Chef's to pick
two popular automation tools.

Make it be «Machine environment», maybe?

> I'd go for something generic like "description" or "comment" or so. Or
> maybe "purpose". I think simply "description" appears to be the best
> option for me.

Those are all useful (we have both description and purpose in the Debian
LDAP[1] for instance).

> BTW, something I also wanted to see for a long time, was a "location"
> field, that can be freely configured by the admin, but is initially
> filled in from geoip or so. In many setups it's quite relevant to know
> where a server is located. Depending on the usecase ot could be as
> generic as "Berlin, Germany" or maybe as specific as "3rd shelf, left
> cabinet" or so, whatever people need. (Of course, on laptops it makes
> little sense...)
> 
> Lennart

[1] for instance, https://db.debian.org/machines.cgi?host=abel

-- 
Tollef Fog Heen
UNIX is user friendly, it's just picky about who its friends are