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Chapter 7. Configuration File FormatsAll three of the RSP daemon programs have a common configuration file format that can be used to control how the program behaves. Generally, using a configuration file is the preferred way to specify the behavior of the programs for a number of reasons: (1) It allows a system administrator to save the runtime options for these programs to a file without having to specify often complex configuration parameters via the command line at every run, and (2) it allows for a large set of computer systems to all share the same RSP daemon configuration options. This chapter discusses the common format of these configuration files. It is through the configuration file that the daemons can really be customized. There exist configuration options specifying the general behavior of the program, such as security and logging, options for the collection of data through modules, and the storage of data. Despite the importance of the configuration file, it is quite simple to use. There are a few conventions used for all options. First, "whitespace" (defined as one or more spaces, tabs and returns) is generally ignored, so the file may be formatted in just about any way found most convenient. Also, RSPD will ignore all text following a "#" on a line, indicating a human-readable comment. Option TypesThere exist a few main types of options. The simplest is a scalar value, in which a variable can be set to a single value. For example, the following lines set scalar values:
Note the comment on the second line, as well as the tabbing on the third. All of this can be parsed by RSPD. The next type of configuration option is the list (or array). A variable can be given multiple values by setting it more than once. For example, the "mailto" option allows for a list of multiple email addresses to be specified, and is set as follows:
Finally, options may exist within blocks. To create a configuration block, a name is first given for the block, followed by an open bracket ("{") on the next line, options on the line after that, and followed up by a close bracket ("}") on the line after the last option. For example,
The two variables in the above example, type and location, become sub variables of the history variable. This format, which applies to a number of configuration options in the three daemons, creates a much more organized file. It is through this format that all three of the RSP daemons can be customized. Please see the related chapters for the individual configuration options available to each daemon. |