propellor/doc
Joey Hess e334f35a45 comment 2014-11-18 21:32:15 -04:00
..
forum comment 2014-11-18 21:32:15 -04:00
news add news item for propellor 0.9.2 2014-11-08 16:09:26 -04:00
security Added a comment: Got it working... 2014-08-31 12:50:17 +00:00
todo done 2014-11-18 17:33:44 -04:00
README.mdwn wording 2014-11-18 21:26:26 -04:00
centralized_git_repository.mdwn expand 2014-11-18 18:56:15 -04:00
coding_style.mdwn reorg 2014-11-01 13:34:22 -04:00
comments.mdwn merge from master 2014-08-19 17:33:00 -04:00
contributing.mdwn add interface stability docs 2014-10-31 11:08:45 -04:00
forum.mdwn forum 2014-04-19 16:00:44 -04:00
haskell_newbie.mdwn merge from master 2014-08-19 17:33:00 -04:00
index.mdwn reorg 2014-10-31 11:00:14 -04:00
install.mdwn add 2014-04-19 15:48:36 -04:00
interface_stability.mdwn add interface stability docs 2014-10-31 11:08:45 -04:00
security.mdwn Merge branch 'joeyconfig' 2014-11-18 21:18:26 -04:00
todo.mdwn more pages 2014-04-19 15:48:28 -04:00

README.mdwn

[Propellor](https://propellor.branchable.com/) is a
configuration management system using Haskell and Git.
Each system has a list of properties, which Propellor ensures
are satisfied.

Propellor is configured via a git repository, which typically lives
in `~/.propellor/` on your development machine. Propellor clones the
repository to each host it manages, in a 
[secure](http://propellor.branchable.com/security/) way. The git repository
contains the full source code to Propellor, along with its config file.

Properties are defined using Haskell. Edit `~/.propellor/config.hs`
to get started. There is fairly complete 
[API documentation](http://hackage.haskell.org/package/propellor/),
which includes many built-in Properties for dealing with
[Apt](http://hackage.haskell.org/package/propellor/docs/Propellor-Property-Apt.html)
and
[Apache](http://hackage.haskell.org/package/propellor/docs/Propellor-Property-Apache.html)
,
[Cron](http://hackage.haskell.org/package/propellor/docs/Propellor-Property-Cron.html)
and
[Commands](http://hackage.haskell.org/package/propellor/docs/Propellor-Property-Cmd.html)
,
[Dns](http://hackage.haskell.org/package/propellor/docs/Propellor-Property-Dns.html)
and
[Docker](http://hackage.haskell.org/package/propellor/docs/Propellor-Property-Docker.html), etc.

There is no special language as used in puppet, chef, ansible, etc.. just
the full power of Haskell. Hopefully that power can be put to good use in
making declarative properties that are powerful, nicely idempotent, and
easy to adapt to a system's special needs!

If using Haskell to configure Propellor seems intimidating,
see [configuration for the Haskell newbie](https://propellor.branchable.com/haskell_newbie/).

## quick start

1. Get propellor installed on your development machine (ie, laptop).
     `cabal install propellor`
          or
     `apt-get install propellor`
2. Run `propellor` for the first time. It will set up a `~/.propellor/` git
   repository for you.
3. If you don't have a gpg private key already, generate one: `gpg --gen-key`
4. Run: `propellor --add-key $KEYID`, which will make propellor trust
   your gpg key, and will sign your `~/.propellor` repository using it.
5. Edit `~/.propellor/config.hs`, and add a host you want to manage.
   You can start by not adding any properties, or only a few.
6. Run: `propellor --spin $HOST`
7. Now you have a simple propellor deployment, but it doesn't do
   much to the host yet, besides installing propellor.  
   So, edit `~/.propellor/config.hs` to configure the host, add some
   properties to it, and re-run step 6.  
   Repeat until happy and move on to the next host. :)
8. Optionally, set up a [centralized git repository](https://propellor.branchable.com/centralized_git_repository/)
   so that multiple hosts can be updated with a simple `git commit -S; git push`
9. Write some neat new properties and send patches!

## debugging

Set `PROPELLOR_DEBUG=1` to make propellor print out all the commands it runs
and any other debug messages that Properties choose to emit.