FAI repo configuration

[George VerDuin]

Greetings

This note is a request for review to anyone with time and interest, with 
a test patch to apply if all goes well.  Given that I am fairly new to 
the fai community, I would like to focus ONLY on the provision of 
repositories for use by server and client.  Using FAI provided 
"demohost" the concepts below were tested successfully. Only FAI 4.0.8 
and wheezy are considered here thus I request any review to include all 
other familiar environments as well.

What I see in apt are two things not fully integrated into FAI.

 1. The /etc/apt/sources.list.d/ directory is provided for inclusion of
    addendum repository source lists, notably projects like FAI.  The
    inclusion of a "fai.list" file in the directory negates the need to
    insert FAI into "sources.list" file by editor.
 2. The use of proxy server by an addition to /etc/apt/apt.conf.d/
    directory.  Apt documentation recommends the inclusion of a file
    "02proxy" to enable repository access through a proxy server.


Recently in conversation with Thomas Lange, we agreed that a custom hook 
would achieve instantiation of the proxy feature.  We did not discuss 
the sources.list.d/ feature that another hook could install.  In 
beginning to write a "How To" document it occurred to me that both of 
these features might be best installed in the main stream application.  
Thus I patched /usr/lib/fai/subroutines to achieve both objectives 
without custom hooks.

So just for sake of argument, let's assume the patch is installed. To 
supply repositories, all work is done in the /etc/fai/apt/ directory.  
Now the "sources.list" may be identical to the file provided by any 
Distro.  I see it as an advantage to use the Distro-supplied file.  Now 
to access the FAI project source, install the file "fai.list" into the 
sources.list.d/ directory.  Others as well if needed.  Now to actuate a 
proxy, install the "02proxy" into the apt.conf.d/ directory.  Only if a 
need to make exception to these files is a hook required.  Should this 
concept be accepted, then the approach is so simple no "How-To" document 
is useful.

The patch is only for FAI4.0.8 file "subroutines".  The patch is to be 
inserted following line #957.  To verify the location, the attached text 
includes the line-before and the line-after commands that will need to 
be deleted to prevent duplication.  I provide it only for testing 
convenience if anyone cares to go that far.  Should this concept be 
accepted I will submit a formal patch in the regular channels.

In the spirit of full disclosure, I see two scripts named "FAISERVER" 
and "LAST" that also partly apply the above.  I do not fully understand 
the basis for these scripts yet and I will continue my search.  It is 
possible these scripts might undergo some change.

Of course I will use this for my own work, but I will not go further 
unless there is a positive response from FAI users.  Thanks in advance 
for any review of this concept, I do hope it might simplify FAI slightly.

Regards
George
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    fcopy -BMv /etc/apt/sources.list || cp -v $FAI_ETC_DIR/apt/sources.list $FAI_ROOT/etc/apt
    # Add project sources and proxy into the copy to preserve repo source config -- GFV 2013.12.23
    fcopy -BMv /etc/apt/apt.conf.d/02proxy || cp -v $FAI_ETC_DIR/apt/apt.conf.d/02proxy $FAI_ROOT/etc/apt/apt.conf.d
    fcopy -BMv /etc/apt/sources.list.d || cp -v $FAI_ETC_DIR/apt/sources.list.d/* $FAI_ROOT/etc/apt/sources.list.d
    # End add by GFV
    if fcopy -BMv /etc/apt/preferences; then