Ideal Daemon Configuration Files

If you’re thinking of writing a daemon that has anything in the way of configuration files I implore you to consider a small amount of implementation effort for an ‘include’ directive.

This simple addition may not seem like a great deal for yourself, but it will undoubtedly go a long way to easing some poor sysop’s life.

An annoying example from the postfix documentation:

Is there some kind of ‘include’ directive for main.cf?

No. Most administrators with complex configurations create a Makefile that will cat the necessary files together. If you have other regular administrative tasks, add them to your Makefile too. Your Makefile can have an entry something like this:

No, I’m sorry. As much as I love my Makefiles, suggesting that your users write one is not a viable solution, it’s passing the buck.

Users of puppet and friends will thank you for going the extra mile.