Feature: Markers for config management tools - cockpit-project/cockpit GitHub Wiki

If config management tools had a common area to leave a bread crumb, we could show users a message that "You system is currently being managed by Ansible, Puppet, Chef, openshfit installer, etc. changes may be reverted." or whatever.

Stories

George is a sysadmin in a small company and uses Cockpit to manage a few servers. One day, a change in the DNS requires corresponding changes to all servers, and George proceeds to make them on his servers via Cockpit. Since his colleague is away and the fix is urgent and easy, he decides to also make it on the servers that he has never touched before.

Workflows

George

• adds the server to his Cockpit dashboard
• switches to the Networking page for that server
• notices that big red alert on the page saying "This machine is externally managed. Any change done here might be undone at any time. See https://it.corp.example.com/ansible for more information."
• decides to make the change anyway
• monitors the Cockpit page
• notices that after 20 minutes his change is indeed undone

Prior Art

• /etc/motd

Tracking

https://trello.com/c/lPweIUlQ/325-spike-markers-for-config-management-tools