[libremanage.git] / notes / Reqs.txt

# General

Single-board computer running full GNU/Linux (any with USB / GPIO should work).

Dedicated Ethernet port for that SBC; connect over SSH the usual way. (Our code doesn't need to worry about authentication nor encryption).

Serial ports. Lots and lots of serial ports. 

To manage an entire fleet by the same board, external USB->serial multiplexing adaptors can be used, so we can have e.g. 5 serial ports (5 servers) on the same port.

For power output and similar tasks, connect like a switch using the board GPIO. For a small number of servers, we can wire up directly to the board GPIO; for a larger number, I imagine USB->GPIO adaptors exist.

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# End deliverable

Instructions for setting up a generic GNU/Linux single-board computer for managament purposes. A standard headless Debian system should suffice as a base. Serial management is done with `screen`. A system for mapping human server names to TTY/GPIO numbers is setup (trivial), plus a simple script for sysadmin-friendly power management will be written, so instead of `echo 0 > /sys/class/gpio/gpio10/etc`, it's `libremanage web2 shutdown` on the machine.
Commit	Line	Data
2feaa21f AR	1	# General
	2
	3	Single-board computer running full GNU/Linux (any with USB / GPIO should work).
	4
	5	Dedicated Ethernet port for that SBC; connect over SSH the usual way. (Our code doesn't need to worry about authentication nor encryption).
	6
62a2455f	7	Serial ports. Lots and lots of serial ports.
2feaa21f	8
62a2455f	9	To manage an entire fleet by the same board, external USB->serial multiplexing adaptors can be used, so we can have e.g. 5 serial ports (5 servers) on the same port.
2feaa21f AR	10
	11	For power output and similar tasks, connect like a switch using the board GPIO. For a small number of servers, we can wire up directly to the board GPIO; for a larger number, I imagine USB->GPIO adaptors exist.
	12
	13	---
	14
	15	# End deliverable
	16
	17	Instructions for setting up a generic GNU/Linux single-board computer for managament purposes. A standard headless Debian system should suffice as a base. Serial management is done with `screen`. A system for mapping human server names to TTY/GPIO numbers is setup (trivial), plus a simple script for sysadmin-friendly power management will be written, so instead of `echo 0 > /sys/class/gpio/gpio10/etc`, it's `libremanage web2 shutdown` on the machine.