ServerKarmicUpdateMotdInotify

Summary

update-motd provides a flexible framework for dynamically generating a more useful /etc/motd. At present, it uses a set of cronjobs that run every (10 minutes, hour, week, month) to update /etc/motd.

For Ubuntu 9.10, the utility should be modified to use inotify to watch for changed files in something like /var/run/update-motd/, and regenerate /etc/motd any time a file in that directory changes.

Release Note

This section should include a paragraph describing the end-user impact of this change. It is meant to be included in the release notes of the first release in which it is implemented. (Not all of these will actually be included in the release notes, at the release manager's discretion; but writing them is a useful exercise.)

It is mandatory.

Rationale

This should cover the _why_: why is this change being proposed, what justifies it, where we see this justified.

User stories

Assumptions

Design

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Implementation

This section should describe a plan of action (the "how") to implement the changes discussed. Could include subsections like:

UI Changes

Should cover changes required to the UI, or specific UI that is required to implement this

Code Changes

Code changes should include an overview of what needs to change, and in some cases even the specific details.

Migration

Include:

  • data migration, if any
  • redirects from old URLs to new ones, if any
  • how users will be pointed to the new way of doing things, if necessary.

Test/Demo Plan

It's important that we are able to test new features, and demonstrate them to users. Use this section to describe a short plan that anybody can follow that demonstrates the feature is working. This can then be used during testing, and to show off after release. Please add an entry to http://testcases.qa.ubuntu.com/Coverage/NewFeatures for tracking test coverage.

This need not be added or completed until the specification is nearing beta.

Unresolved issues

This should highlight any issues that should be addressed in further specifications, and not problems with the specification itself; since any specification with problems cannot be approved.

UDS Raw Notes

  • Use inotify to watch the /var/run/update-motd for changes.
  • Needed an inotify daemon in Main for Jaunty.
    • upstart is going to be an inotify daemon as well.
  • Create two packages one for cron and one for inotify.
    • Focus on inotify because they will be more efficient.
    • Need two packages because sys admins may have added their own scripts.
  • Might be a good idea to clean up cron job logging.
  • Have a line about new features in motd round robin style.


CategorySpec

ServerKarmicUpdateMotdInotify (last edited 2009-06-03 19:59:57 by cpe-66-69-254-183)