cl-unix-cybernetics 0.3.3

UNIX cybernetics in Common Lisp.

You describe your systems (hosts) using resources having properties.

The properties are then probed and synchronized using only /bin/sh on the remote host, and /usr/bin/ssh on the control host.

Current status

There is support for local shell and connection to remote hosts via ssh.

Using only /bin/sh commands makes ksh and bash suitable shells as they are compatible with /bin/sh.

Supported resource types :

• Host (hostname)
• User (useradd, usermod, userdel)
• Group (groupadd, groupmod, groupdel)
• File (owner, group, permissions, content)
• Directory (owner, group, permissions)
• Package (Debian, OpenBSD)

Security design

You should only allow what you would allow your system operators :

• a shell accessible through SSH using a public key
• apropriate sudo permissions

All commands issued to the remote hosts can be logged.

Does not grant the hosts access to its workstation while it works. Does not grant access to data belonging to any host. Does not send any data that is not of direct concern to the host. In short, all UNIX permissions are respected.

Usage

1. Install repo.

2. Fetch sources.

  $ sbcl --eval '(repo:install :cl-unix-cybernetics)'

3. Build and install the cl-unix-cybernetics binary

  $ cd ~/common-lisp/thodg/cl-unix-cybernetics
  $ make
  $ sudo cp build/cl-unix-cybernetics /usr/local/bin/

4. Write some resources in a .lisp script

In the tutorial.lisp file :

  #!/usr/local/bin/cl-unix-cybernetics --script

  (resource 'host "example.kmx.io"
            :user "sysadm"
            (resource 'user "sysadm"
                      :shell "/bin/sh"
                      :ensure :present))

  (with-host "example.kmx.io"
    (sync *host*))

6. Profit.

  $ chmod 755 tutorial.lisp
  $ ./tutorial.lisp

The tutorial.lisp script will synchronize the host “example.kmx.io” according to the resource specifications given in the file.

7. DRY up your scripts using #.(include "file")

In the user/dx.lisp file :

  ;; Thomas de Grivel (kmx.io)
  (resource 'group "dx"
            :gid 19256
            :ensure :present)
  (resource 'user "dx"
            :uid 19256
            :gid 19256
            :home "/home/dx"
            :ensure :present)

In your main script :

  #!/usr/local/bin/cl-unix-cybernetics --script

  (resource 'host "example.kmx.io"
            :user "admin"
            (resource 'user "admin"
                      :shell "/bin/sh"
                      :ensure :present)
            #.(include "user/dx"))

  (with-host "example.kmx.io"
    (sync *host*))

History

This project used to be named “Adams”. It was renamed in 2022 to “cl-unix-cybernetics”.

License

Authors

Thomas de Grivel thodg@kmx.io