[Labs-l] open grid on bots

[Marc A. Pelletier]

On 03/11/2013 11:40 AM, Petr Bena wrote:
> who is there to
> help me out huh?

Me?  Other users?

For most cases, a sysadmin will be of no more use than anyone else who 
has had success in running their tools.

As for installing packages, you are correct.  This requires a sysadmin, 
but not because of the needed bit to do the actual install (it would be 
fairly simple to provide some interface by which Ubuntu-provided 
packages, at least, could be installed self-serve) but because you need 
someone who is going to be able to evaluate the *impact* of the 
installation.  To ascertain whether that will affect other running 
tools, and possibly to adapt or tweak depending on global constraints.

It would not be the first time that a project root installs something in 
the labs that has security impacts that required the ops team to 
completely disable the instance, or that break other services.  Some 
packages have alternatives or require switching some virtual package to 
satisfy in a way that could break /other/ tools.

Tool Labs needs proper change management, and deliberate administration 
to ensure reliability.  The setup you speak of is very nice for 
prototype and proof-of-concept work, but if you have projects that 
/rely/ on a tool working, then the environment needs to be stable.

-- Marc