Re: re understanding cfengine "passes"

[rader]

 > >This one time, at band camp, rader@ginseng.hep.wisc.edu wrote:
 > >The cfagent --verbose output from my config says that cfengine is
 > >doing two passes. 
 
 > From: Jamie Wilkinson
 > cfagent always does two passes over the action sequence.

Ahh, cfagent sometimes makes only one pass in my neck of the woods...

 $ cat cfCopy
 #!/usr/sbin/cfagent -d2 --no-splay --inform --no-lock --file
 control: actionsequence = ( copy )
 copy: /tmp/a dest=/tmp/b type=mtime
 $ rm /tmp/b && touch /tmp/a && ./cfCopy | grep "pass 1" | wc -l
       1
 $ rm /tmp/b && touch /tmp/a && ./cfCopy | grep "pass 2" | wc -l
       0


 > >Using...
 > >  addInstallable = ( has_afs )
 > >  import: afs.conf  # defines has_afs
 > >  shellcommands:
 > >    has_afs:: "/bin/echo yes i have afs here"
 > >    !has_afs:: "/bin/echo no afs here" 
 > >...causes *both* shellcommands actions to be excuted (in other words:
 > >causes another pass of doing shellcommands.)  The cfagent --verbose
 > >output says shellcommands is executed twice during the first pass.

 > Mark can correct me if I'm wrong, but last I checked, the imports would
 > be loaded and parsed *at the end* of the current file.  So, your shell
 > commands are being run before the contents of afs.conf get read.

Yes.  The doc on import explains that.

 > As to why both echos get executed, does -d2 give you any more hints
 > about what classes are defined?

I'm pretty sure the AddInstallable tells cfengine to make another
pass on shellcommands: If I remove the AddInstallable line, then
all I get is "/bin/echo no afs here".  The doc for AddInstallable
sorta eludes to the idea.  Sorry, I should have mentioned that.

steve 
- - - 
systems & network guy
high energy physics
university of wisconsin