5 ms·

Fabric is a Python library designed to execute shell commands remotely over SSH

40 points by EntICOnc 4y ago

d0mine 4y ago
Fabric can be a replacement for adhoc shell scripts for chore/CI tasks in a project e.g., it can be `make docs` replacement. It is the best of both worlds: shell one-liners glued together using Python. It doesn't replace ansible--it invokes it (it plays the role of the vagrant utility in this case).
arun6582 4y ago
I liked fabric a lot But trying to use fabric for everything feels like reinventing the wheel. Ansible already does those stuff
mardix 4y ago
Glad Fabric is still around. But Ansible is simpler and the way to really go now. You focus mainly on the tasks that you need with Ansible instead of the scripts. Also you have a whole community of Ansible plugins that you can reuse for your own. Fabric was good at one point, but it missed the migration period to Python 3, hence pushing everyone away. I'm not even sure Fabric is on the safest Python 3.8 yet. Fabric was fun though.
barnabee 4y ago
For the rare occasions I need something like this, I’m glad Fabric exists. I find Ansible to be almost unusably obtuse, it does not gel with how I think about networked systems at all.
vineyardmike 4y ago
Anyone who uses this, is it used for remote system management, or as a way to “remote” expensive operations?
nomel 4y ago
Fabric uses Paramiko, which is GNU, which means the lawyers at my company said that I couldn't use it, since I would be distributing it to some extent (for use at vendor site). Is it a dirty industry secret that most people/companies who use these open source libraries are violating their licenses, especially around the distribution? I always see great libraries posted on HN, but I don't see how anyone can actually use them, in a professional setting.
- speps 4y ago
  If I understand right, it's fine for commercial use as long as you don't modify it. If you do, you have to publish the modified version under GPL. Your lawyers are probably right to be so paranoid though, it's very hard to track and if found it can cost millions...
  - DarylZero 4y ago
    No, the code that uses the library is a derivative work of the library, whether or not it modifies the library. GPL still allows commercial use in any case, it just requires you release your code under GPL.
    - bramblerose 4y ago
      Paramiko is licensed under the LGPL, though, so that doesn't apply here.
- josephcsible 4y ago
  > which is GNU, which means the lawyers at my company said that I couldn't use it Then either your company is doing something evil or those lawyers are idiots. Nothing in the GPL treats commercial use any differently than non-commercial use, and you're allowed to distribute GPL'd software as long as you make the GPL'd source available to whoever you make the binaries available to.
  - nomel 4y ago
    > GPL'd source available to whoever you make the binaries available to. Or, perhaps compliance for this is their exact concern.
    - Doxin 4y ago
      If anyone inquires you point them to the appropriate github page or whatnot. As long as you're not adding your own patches it's really not relevant.
kevwil 4y ago
I'm glad Fabric is still around. I used it at my previous company. I might even prefer it over the Ansible we use at my current company.
vladsanchez 4y ago
Before Ansible, there was Fabric! :sunglasses:

40 points by EntICOnc 4y ago

Fabric can be a replacement for adhoc shell scripts for chore/CI tasks in a project e.g., it can be `make docs` replacement. It is the best of both worlds: shell one-liners glued together using Python. It doesn't replace ansible--it invokes it (it plays the role of the vagrant utility in this case).

arun6582 4y ago

I liked fabric a lot But trying to use fabric for everything feels like reinventing the wheel. Ansible already does those stuff

mardix 4y ago

Glad Fabric is still around. But Ansible is simpler and the way to really go now. You focus mainly on the tasks that you need with Ansible instead of the scripts. Also you have a whole community of Ansible plugins that you can reuse for your own. Fabric was good at one point, but it missed the migration period to Python 3, hence pushing everyone away. I'm not even sure Fabric is on the safest Python 3.8 yet. Fabric was fun though.

barnabee 4y ago

For the rare occasions I need something like this, I’m glad Fabric exists. I find Ansible to be almost unusably obtuse, it does not gel with how I think about networked systems at all.

vineyardmike 4y ago

Anyone who uses this, is it used for remote system management, or as a way to “remote” expensive operations?

nomel 4y ago

Fabric uses Paramiko, which is GNU, which means the lawyers at my company said that I couldn't use it, since I would be distributing it to some extent (for use at vendor site). Is it a dirty industry secret that most people/companies who use these open source libraries are violating their licenses, especially around the distribution? I always see great libraries posted on HN, but I don't see how anyone can actually use them, in a professional setting.

speps 4y ago
If I understand right, it's fine for commercial use as long as you don't modify it. If you do, you have to publish the modified version under GPL. Your lawyers are probably right to be so paranoid though, it's very hard to track and if found it can cost millions...
- DarylZero 4y ago
  No, the code that uses the library is a derivative work of the library, whether or not it modifies the library. GPL still allows commercial use in any case, it just requires you release your code under GPL.
  - bramblerose 4y ago
    Paramiko is licensed under the LGPL, though, so that doesn't apply here.
josephcsible 4y ago
> which is GNU, which means the lawyers at my company said that I couldn't use it Then either your company is doing something evil or those lawyers are idiots. Nothing in the GPL treats commercial use any differently than non-commercial use, and you're allowed to distribute GPL'd software as long as you make the GPL'd source available to whoever you make the binaries available to.
- nomel 4y ago
  > GPL'd source available to whoever you make the binaries available to. Or, perhaps compliance for this is their exact concern.
  - Doxin 4y ago
    If anyone inquires you point them to the appropriate github page or whatnot. As long as you're not adding your own patches it's really not relevant.

kevwil 4y ago

I'm glad Fabric is still around. I used it at my previous company. I might even prefer it over the Ansible we use at my current company.

vladsanchez 4y ago

Before Ansible, there was Fabric! :sunglasses: