Automatic Configuration with Cdist - ArchWiki

# Automatic Configuration with Cdist

This page describes how to automatically configure archlinux using cdist.

## Introduction

Cdist is a configuration management system. The author of cdist is also using Archlinux as a target distribution and has some re-usable example configurations online.

## Preperation

Get the cdist repository with Nicos modications:

    git://git.schottelius.org/cdist-nico

If you want to start brewing your own configuration tree, it is recommended to get the clean upstream version:

    git://git.schottelius.org/cdist

(you should probably read the documentation on the first in any case)

## How to use the types

Edit cdist/conf/manifest/init, add your hostname and use the types as seen on the present hosts. Afterwards run

    ./bin/cdist config -v your-host-name

And then the your-host-name will be configured.

## Type overview

The following types are present and have been tested on Archlinux systems.

## Managed Desktop (__nico_managed_desktop)

This type is mainly focussed to create a computer usable by non-geeks.

Features:

- User can shutdown, suspend the computer (pm-utils)
- Graphical user login (slim)
- LXDE Desktop environment
- Office suite (Libreoffice)
- Browser (chromium)
- User can configure network (using wicd)

## Notebook (__nico_notebook)

This is the highly personal tuned notebook configuration. Used every 2-3 years when changing the notebook. It contains everything necessary to work (highy biased opinion there).

Some features:

- LaTeX, i3, mplayer, nfs, wireshark, ...

## Dos gaming station (__nico_dosbox)

This type contains a dosbox installation + some sample games. If you don't know what dos is, you don't need this type.

## Multimedia Support (__nico_media)

Ever searched for tool X to do multimedia action Y? It's probably included in here.

Features:

- Image viewer
- Image manipulation
- Drawing
- Video playback
- CD/DVD backup

## User based network configuration (__nico_network_user_based)

This type allows the user to manage the network using wicd. Included are the cli and gui versions.

Category:

- System administration