5 ms·

Seems like another version of `Fabric`, though the expect functionality is nice. After investing so much in learning the quirks and specifics of the fab command

Seems like another version of `Fabric`, though the expect functionality is nice. After investing so much in learning the quirks and specifics of the fab command, I'd need a very compelling reason to switch.

tyingq 9y ago
There are at least some cases where the expect functionality is either required, or makes things much easier. I know expect, or expect-like functionality is used often for automating things across groups of Cisco devices, for example. Where you need to process the output of one command to drive another, or where commands have a separate "commit" Y/N type prompt. Outside of that, most of what this describes feels like something I would do with Ansible.
- zwischenzug 9y ago
  Yeah, that was an original driver (installation of a BigIron DB (Informix) on the CL).
- philipov 9y ago
  Sounds great for pipelining data load jobs.
  - zwischenzug 9y ago
    Message me if you have a use case @ianmiell or on GH.
philipov 9y ago
As someone researching whether to use Fabric or another option, I do not have to wrestle with the sunk cost fallacy. I'd be interested to hear how the features they share compare to each other objectively.
- zwischenzug 9y ago
  From reading through fabric they seem pretty similar. There are a few differences that leap out: - ShutIt's pause points/interacts allow for easier debugging - ShutIt allows for 'multisends' where you can automate more complex interaction with non-standard prompts (eg the telnet example). It's been used to automate network tasks, and complex installation tasks. - Backgrounding tasks and managing those for faster deployment - ShutIt has behind it a packaging system that can leverage other scripts (advanced). I'm not a fabric expert so happy to be corrected on these.
emmelaich 9y ago
Or Ansible, which (as I understand) started merely as ssh automation. There's something to be said for simpler tools in the same space though.

tyingq 9y ago

There are at least some cases where the expect functionality is either required, or makes things much easier. I know expect, or expect-like functionality is used often for automating things across groups of Cisco devices, for example. Where you need to process the output of one command to drive another, or where commands have a separate "commit" Y/N type prompt. Outside of that, most of what this describes feels like something I would do with Ansible.

zwischenzug 9y ago
Yeah, that was an original driver (installation of a BigIron DB (Informix) on the CL).
philipov 9y ago
Sounds great for pipelining data load jobs.
- zwischenzug 9y ago
  Message me if you have a use case @ianmiell or on GH.

philipov 9y ago

As someone researching whether to use Fabric or another option, I do not have to wrestle with the sunk cost fallacy. I'd be interested to hear how the features they share compare to each other objectively.

zwischenzug 9y ago
From reading through fabric they seem pretty similar. There are a few differences that leap out: - ShutIt's pause points/interacts allow for easier debugging - ShutIt allows for 'multisends' where you can automate more complex interaction with non-standard prompts (eg the telnet example). It's been used to automate network tasks, and complex installation tasks. - Backgrounding tasks and managing those for faster deployment - ShutIt has behind it a packaging system that can leverage other scripts (advanced). I'm not a fabric expert so happy to be corrected on these.

emmelaich 9y ago

Or Ansible, which (as I understand) started merely as ssh automation. There's something to be said for simpler tools in the same space though.