preamble.texinfo

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@c %** start of header
@setfilename CfengineStdLibrary.info
@settitle Community Open Promise Body Library
@setchapternewpage odd
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@titlepage
@title Community Open Promise Body Library
@subtitle A CFEngine Standard
@author CFEngine AS

@c @smallbook

@fonttextsize 10

@page
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Copyright @copyright{} 2012 CFEngine AS
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@ifinfo
@dircategory CFEngine Training
@direntry
* cfengine Reference:
                        CFEngine is a language based framework
                        designed for configuring and maintaining
                        Unix-like operating systems attached
                        to a TCP/IP network.
@end direntry
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@ifnottex
@node Top, Basic company information and procedures, (dir), (dir)
@top CFEngine-Open-Promise-Body-Library
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@ifhtml
@html
<a href="#Contents">COMPLETE TABLE OF CONTENTS</a>
<h2>Summary of contents</h2>
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@iftex
@contents
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@node The Purpose Of This Handbook
@chapter The Purpose Of This Handbook

@sp 1

CFEngine is built on promises. Promises were chosen as the model for CFEngine's
configuration language, because they represent an expression of intention.

If you are using custom scripts to manage your systems, you are using
@i{recipes}. Take a look at any cookbook and you will see that all
recipes look the same: take flour, eggs, butter, sugar ... and you
know nothing because you can make a hundred things from these steps.
If you don't make clear your intention, it is very hard to know what
the recipe is supposed to be: is it a cake, a waffle, a pastry?

The same is true in system administration. Recipes are not merely
scripts, they encapsulate knowledge and experience. Their value is
in communicating @i{desired outcomes} or states.

This library of standard components is like a cookbook that tells you
only how to make basics well. It gives these basic skills names and
therefore gives you a common vocabulary -- you will put together these
basics in creative ways to build your systems.

@sp 2

@cartouche

Please contribute to this guide by helping to develop a repertoire of
basic skills and names. This collection should be comprehensive but
parsimonious. Basics are only basics if they are few and carefully
thought out. This is a work in progress and your experience is welcome.

This library will be moderated by CFEngine, and contributions and discussions
ca n be made to the help-cfengine@@cfengine.org mailing list.

@end cartouche