Plague - distributed package build system for Fedora

Overwiev

Plague is a distributed package build system, suitable for building a whole Linux distribution (like Fedora Core), or for building additional packages (like Fedora Extras). It currently uses other programs like yum, mock, and createrepo to power much of the buildroot setup, rebuild, and repository management process. This system is written mainly in python.

The Plague build server communicates with builders on remote machines (or localhost) using XMLRPC, optionally with SSL support for security. Packagers submit build requests for either the source package itself, or a CVS tag, also using XMLRPC with optional SSL support. For each job separate chroot directory is created.

For packagers, both a command-line interface and a web client are included. The web client is mainly for viewing build system status and individual build job status, not for enqueueing packages or for builder management.

User management

• There are two types of authentication: builder-server and client-server
• Authentication via SSL certificates : private key, public key and CA certificate
• Instead of usernames it uses email adresses as unique identification key
• There is python script which helps in certificate generation : plague-certhelper.py
• On server side there is user DB (sqlite for example)
• User rights : own_jobs , job_admin , user_admin , server admin
• There is python script which helps in management of user DB : plague-user-manager.py

Documentation

Poor, but can be worse...

• Fedora wiki - overview , installation guide - http://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Projects/Plague
• README file - some details, explanation of installation process - http://cvs.fedora.redhat.com/viewcvs/extras-buildsys/README
• HowToInstallPlague - installation guide on SLC

pld-builder

Overview

Build system designed to work for PLD Linux distribution. Architecture : client -> source builder -> binary builder.

User management

• Instead of usernames it uses pair (username,email adresses) as unique identification key
• All jobs are send via email and signed by pgp key

Documentation

Poor

• ARCHITECTURE file - - http://cvs.pld-linux.org/cgi-bin/cvsweb.cgi/pld-builder.new/doc/ARCHITECTURE
• other doc files (partially in polish) in http://cvs.pld-linux.org/cgi-bin/cvsweb.cgi/pld-builder.new/

pydar

Overview

Build system for dries repository. Similar to plague, but much more simpler. It also based on XMLRPC. Uses SVN repository for SPEC files.

Documentation

Poor

• http://dries.ulyssis.org/rpm/pydar2/ - everything is here

Overview

Build system designed to work for PLD Linux distribution. Architecture : client -> source builder -> binary builder.

-- LeszekGrzanka - 27 Nov 2006