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List:       ant-user
Subject:    Re: [OT] Ant-driven update system (Re: Best way to add file to
From:       Ken Gentle <j.kenneth.gentle () acm ! org>
Date:       2001-12-31 23:42:41
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The article linked below describes a "self-extracting jar" that might be a 
core to build such a utility around.

http://www.javaworld.com/javaworld/javatips/jw-javatip120.html


I have to agree with some of the other posts about this not being a core 
Ant capability, although such a utility would be useful.

IIRC, IBM's alphaworks had a java based installation tool as well.  Might 
be worth a look.

         Ken

At 06:56 PM 12/27/2001 +1100, you wrote:
>(Cc'ing ant-dev for thread continuity.. please don't reply there:)
>
>
>Incidentally, 'diff -N' is not a general, nor cross-platform, solution
>to the problem of how to convey updates.
>
>I'd like to invent one though :) I was thinking along the lines of a
>.jar file containing updates, with an Ant script, META-INF/control.xml,
>which describes how the contents of the jar must be applied.
>
>Basically, a jar file that knows what to do with itself. Much like an
>RPM or .deb file.
>
>These jars are 'applied' to a system by running another Ant script,
>which:
>
>  - optionally fetches the jar via a HTTP GET.
>  - verifies the jar signature
>  - unpacks the jar, and transfers control to META-INF/control.xml,
>    which:
>    - Ensures that the files to be replaced/patched validate against a
>      MD5 checksum (to be sure we're not overwriting modifications)
>    - If they do, replace/patch/remove them.
>    - Optionally do things like restart Tomcat, if the updates are for a
>      website.
>  - Control then passes back to the invoking script, which cleans up.
>
>
>My primary use-case is that of distributing updates to a client-managed
>website. Each 'update' consists of new/modified jars, a few JSPs, and
>perhaps a web.xml modification. These can't be done via CVS because
>they're behind a firewall, and can't be done with 'diff', because
>they're on WinNT. Hence the need for a cross-platform mechanism for
>applying self-contained updates.
>
>
>Anyone know of something like this, or a better solution? If anyone's
>interested, I have a prototype (without the jar signature verification
>or MD5 checksumming), and would be happy to collaborate further in the
>development of such a system.
>
>
>--Jeff
>
>
>On Thu, Dec 27, 2001 at 05:38:48PM +1100, Jeff Turner wrote:
> > On Wed, Dec 26, 2001 at 08:36:15PM -0600, Steve Cohen wrote:
> > > What is the best way for someone not a committer to submit a totally new
> > > file for the ant CVS repository?  Last time I did this, I just sent it
> > > an an attachment with the bug report I'd submitted.
> > >
> > > However, this seems like a kludgey way to go about it.  Ideally, it
> > > seems to me, a new file should fit into the CVS patch file the way
> > > anything else does.  But of course, since you haven't checked it out,
> > > CVS knows nothing about it and cvs diff won't work.  Is there a way to
> > > get this into the patches file?  Or is sending it as a separate
> > > attachment the only way?
> >
> > One way is to:
> >
> > a) get the cvsutils scripts from http://www.red-bean.com/cvsutils/.
> >    Worth getting anyway. I don't know what I'd do without 'cvsco' :)
> >
> > b) Do a 'cvsdo add <file>', which modifies CVS/Entries to mark the file
> > as new (without contacting the server).
> >
> > c) Generate the diff with 'cvs -RuN' (Recursion, unified, New files).
> > 'man diff' says:
> >
> >   -N
> >   --new-file
> >      In directory comparison, if a file is found in only one directory,
> >      treat it as present but empty in the other directory.
> >
> >
> > I can add this to the task guidelines if it's not deemed to hackish :)
> >
> >
> > --Jeff
> >
> > --
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==========================================================================
J. Kenneth Gentle (Ken)       | Phone: (610) 255-0361   FAX:(610) 255-0418
Gentle Software, LLC          | Email: j.kenneth.gentle@acm.org
==========================================================================


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