[augeas-devel] augeas in non linux environment and generic configuration files

[David Timms]

Hi, I was considering using augeas to either:
a) create conforming config files for an embedded system:

that is: create the files on a linux machine and then transfer to the
device where they will get used.

b) actually port augeas to the embedded system to handle config file
creation, editing, writing, reading:

How complex/ difficult would it be to implement on a coldfire CPU, where
code I run is a lowly second class citizen, and has many gotchas and an
overly simplified c like development language ?

How small/large might the code/compiled code be ?

===== mostly off topic part, but relevant to config storage

The config data I want to store/read represents memory structures (of a
one-way linked list):
ArrayA[number of elements] has a number of toplevel fields, then an item
to indicate count of ArrayB[items] are associated to ArrayA[elements],
and field to indicate which ArrayB item is associated for count items. A
similar arrangement is stored for ArrayC[items], but these are
essentially unrelated to count or index of ArrayB items there are.
ArrayA[1].BCount = 4
ArrayA[1].BIndex[1] = 2
ArrayA[1].BIndex[2] = 3
ArrayA[1].BIndex[3] = 4
ArrayA[1].BIndex[4] = 6
ArrayA[2].BCount = 3
ArrayA[2].BIndex[1] = 1
ArrayA[2].BIndex[2] = 5
ArrayA[2].BIndex[3] = 7

ArrayB[3].field1=value1
ArrayB[3].field2=value2
ArrayB[3].field3=value3
ArrayB[3].field4=value4

ArrayA[1].CCount = 2
ArrayA[1].CIndex[1] = 1
ArrayA[1].CIndex[2] = 2

ArrayC[1].field1=value1
ArrayC[2].field1=value2
and so on.

Generic questions:
1. what would be the most appropriate config file format for storing
non-square (non matrix) data like this ?

2. having spent some time reviewing various formats, yaml, and to some
extent json, seem promising. If the first method is used, I'll need to
be able to suport having the user manually edit the config files with a
text editor, hopefully in a format that is clear and obvious to adjust,
and not too picky on actual formatting within the file. Does this
requirement make a case for using some other file format than the
previous answer ?

3. Are there already augeas lens' for the formats you suggest in 1 and 2 ?

Thanks for any suggestions...