propellor.debug can be set in the git config to enable more persistent debugging output.

debian/changelog

@@ -19,6 +19,8 @@ propellor (1.1.0) UNRELEASED; urgency=medium
     commit.
   * cron.runPropellor now runs propellor, rather than using its Makefile.
     This is more robust.
+  * propellor.debug can be set in the git config to enable more persistent
+    debugging output.
 
  -- Joey Hess <joeyh@debian.org>  Sat, 22 Nov 2014 00:12:35 -0400
 

doc/debugging.mdwn

@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
-Set `PROPELLOR_DEBUG=1` to make propellor print out all the commands it runs
+Set `PROPELLOR_DEBUG=1` in the environment, or `git config propellor.debug 1`
-and any other debug messages that Properties choose to emit.
+to make propellor print out all the commands it runs and any other debug
+messages that Properties choose to emit.
 
 Another handy debugging tip is to load up your config.hs in ghci, and look
 at `hosts`. This will show the Properties of a Host, as well as the Info

doc/usage.mdwn

@@ -101,6 +101,18 @@ and configured in haskell.
 Set `PROPELLOR_DEBUG=1` to make propellor output each command it runs and
 other debugging information.
 
+# GIT CONFIGURATION
+
+`git config propellor.debug 1` will configure propellor to output debugging
+information.
+
+The usual git configuration controls which centralized repository (if any)
+propellor pushes and pulls from. 
+
+Additionally, the url of a remote named "deploy", if it exists
+in your ~/.propellor/ repository, is used as the origin url for
+the other repositories.
+
 # SH AUTHOR 
 
 Joey Hess <id@joeyh.name>

src/Propellor/Message.hs

@@ -11,10 +11,13 @@ import System.Log.Handler.Simple
 import "mtl" Control.Monad.Reader
 import Data.Maybe
 import Control.Applicative
+import System.Directory
+import Control.Monad.IfElse
 
 import Propellor.Types
 import Utility.Monad
 import Utility.Env
+import Utility.Process
 
 data MessageHandle
 	= ConsoleMessageHandle
@@ -99,17 +102,23 @@ colorLine h intensity color msg = do
 	putStrLn ""
 	hFlush stdout
 
--- | Causes a debug message to be displayed when PROPELLOR_DEBUG=1
 debug :: [String] -> IO ()
 debug = debugM "propellor" . unwords
 
 checkDebugMode :: IO ()
 checkDebugMode = go =<< getEnv "PROPELLOR_DEBUG"
   where
-	go (Just "1") = do
+	go (Just "1") = enableDebugMode
+	go (Just _) = noop
+	go Nothing = whenM (doesDirectoryExist ".git") $
+		whenM (any (== "1") . lines <$> getgitconfig) $
+			enableDebugMode
+	getgitconfig = readProcess "git" ["config", "propellor.debug"]
+
+enableDebugMode :: IO ()
+enableDebugMode = do
 	f <- setFormatter
 		<$> streamHandler stderr DEBUG
 		<*> pure (simpleLogFormatter "[$time] $msg")
 	updateGlobalLogger rootLoggerName $ 
 		setLevel DEBUG .  setHandlers [f]
-	go _ = noop