NAME

Envy - A comprehensive multi-dimensional environment manager

SYNOPSIS

Installation takes a bit more work beyond simply typing 'make'. Big returns (unfortunately) generally involve navigating big risks. Sorry!

FIRST TIME USERS

It is recommended that you install envy in the privacy of your own home directory before risking the disruption of thousands of grumpy co-workers. Before you proceed, print this documentation on paper so you can refer to it if something electronic goes amiss.

To install envy, you need to know what is your login shell. In the Unix world, there are mainly two kinds of command line shells available. You can find out which one you have with:

  echo $SHELL

The following cover installation for both types of shells:

• SH, KSH, BASH, Etc.

     PERL5PREFIX=$HOME/test; export PERL5PREFIX
     perl Makefile.PL
     make test
     make install
  
     # try it out
     $PERL5PREFIX/bin/wrapper -s echo
  
     mv $HOME/.profile $HOME/.profile.bak
     ln -s $PERL5PREFIX/etc/dot.profile $HOME/.profile

• CSH, TCSH, Etc.

     setenv PERL5PREFIX=$HOME/test
     perl Makefile.PL
     make test
     make install
  
     # try it out
     $PERL5PREFIX/bin/wrapper -s echo
  
     mv $HOME/.login $HOME/.login.bak
     ln -s $PERL5PREFIX/etc/dot.login $HOME/.login

Be aware that bash uses '.bash_profile' and zsh uses '.zprofile'. Logout and login. You may find that X Windows did not start automatically. This is a good sign. Envy is now installed in your home directory.

Type 'envy list' or 'envy help'. Explore. Get a feel for it. Create a few .env files. Try out dimensions. Maybe demo to your office-mate.

UNINSTALLING

Uninstalling is easy. None of your old dot files have been deleted, just renamed. To see what has changed recently use:

  cd $HOME; ls -at | more

Simply undo the damage (rm the symlinks and copy your old dot files back) and you should be back to normal.

INSTALLING

By default, envy installs basic login scripts appropriate for most Unix systems. However, you probably don't need or want them. All that is really necessary for envy to work correctly, besides installing the perl code, are the following shell functions:

SH:

  envy() { eval `envy.pl $*`; }
  unenvy() { eval `envy.pl -un $*`; }

CSH:

  alias envy 'envy.pl -csh \!* > /tmp/t$$; source /tmp/t$$; /bin/rm -f /tmp/t$$'
  alias unenvy 'envy.pl -un -csh \!* > /tmp/t$$; source /tmp/t$$; /bin/rm -f /tmp/t$$'

Talk to a system administrator (maybe yourself) about adding these functions to the global login scripts. That's all that is needed besides the perl code.

WHY AM I GOING THROUGH ALL THIS HELL?

Because envy could solve some of your tenacious, long standing problems!

• REUSE

  Envy allows the centralization of configuration files. When new versions of software come out, it is easy to globally publish new configuration files in preparation for a gradual and controlled migration. Instead of being locked into backward compatibility, you can slowly nudge users into changing in the gentlest possible way.

• CHOICE

  Each user can customize their environment to exactly the right degree. Instead of being forced into a global environment or splintering into an entirely custom environment, there is flexiblility to customize within the globally standardized environment as appropriate for each user.

• DEPENDENCIES

  Envy makes dependencies between packages explicit and understandable.

• CRON JOBS

  Envy makes it easy to correctly set up cron jobs. Cron jobs will no longer fail unexpectedly due to missing environment variables.

ENVY SETUP

Hopefully, you will find envy very easy to set up for your site. If there is any way it can be made easier, please let me know!

Before you install 'make test'; check ./Conf.pm; and 'make diff'.

SITE SETUP

Here is what happens upon login (Bourne Shell):

  $HOME/.profile -> $ETOP/etc/login/dot.profile
  envy load `cat $HOME/.custom/startup`
  $ETOP/etc/login/profile.part2
  $ETOP/etc/login/profile.site
  $HOME/.custom/profile
    $HOME/.shrc -> $ETOP/etc/login/dot.shrc
    $ETOP/etc/login/shrc.site
    $HOME/.custom/shrc
  $ETOP/etc/desktop/`cat $HOME/.custom/win.name`

You are free to customize the *.site files (or omit them). You will also need to set up window manager startup scripts under $ETOP/etc/desktop. See the INSTALLING section above if you are planning not to use the login scripts supplied with envy.

CRONTAB

Use $ETOP/bin/wrapper to initiate cron jobs. wrapper is a very simple script that loads envies given on the command line and then executes shell commands.

EXTENSION API

Envy is written entirely in perl and is designed to be used as a library as well as a command-line tool. One possible project is a graphical front end to help navigate the environment. Also see the TODO file.

SUPPORT

Send email to envy@listbox.com.

SEE ALSO

For a comparison of unix shells:

  http://www.faqs.org/faqs/unix-faq/shell/shell-differences/index.html

And for why you should not do shell programming in csh:

  http://www.faqs.org/faqs/unix-faq/shell/csh-whynot/

cpanm Envy::UI

perl -MCPAN -e shell
install Envy::UI