source/projects/cram/README.md

# Cram

> To force (people or things) into a place or container that is or appears to be too small to contain them.

An alternative to GNU Stow, more some notion of packages with dependencies and install scripts.

## Usage

```
# cram [--dry-run | --execute] <configdir> <destdir>
$ cram ~/conf ~/  # --dry-run is the default
```

Cram operates in terms of packages, which are directories with the following structure -

```
/REQUIRES      # A list of other packages this one requires
/BUILD         # 1. Perform any compile or package management tasks
/PRE_INSTALL   # 2. Any other tasks required before installation occurs
/INSTALL       # 3. Do whatever constitutes installation
/POST_INSTALL  # 4. Any cleanup or other tasks following installation

...            # Any other files are treated as package contents

```

Cram reads a config dir with three groups of packages
- `packages.d/<packagename>` contains a package that installs but probably shouldn't configure a given tool, package or group of files.
  Configuration should be left to profiles.
- `profiles.d/<profilename>` contains a profile; a group of related profiles and packages that should be installed together.
- `hosts.d/<hostname>` contains one package for each host, and should pull in a list of profiles.

The intent of this tool is to keep GNU Stow's intuitive model of deploying configs via symlinks, and augment it with a useful pattern for talking about "layers" / "packages" of related configs.
First cut at a cram tool 2021-10-11 03:41:01 +00:00			`# Cram`

			`> To force (people or things) into a place or container that is or appears to be too small to contain them.`

Factor out the VFS since it's kinda neat 2021-10-11 04:40:05 +00:00			`An alternative to GNU Stow, more some notion of packages with dependencies and install scripts.`
First cut at a cram tool 2021-10-11 03:41:01 +00:00
			`## Usage`

			```
Factor out the VFS since it's kinda neat 2021-10-11 04:40:05 +00:00			`# cram [--dry-run \| --execute] <configdir> <destdir>`
			`$ cram ~/conf ~/ # --dry-run is the default`
First cut at a cram tool 2021-10-11 03:41:01 +00:00			```

Factor out the VFS since it's kinda neat 2021-10-11 04:40:05 +00:00			`Cram operates in terms of packages, which are directories with the following structure -`
First cut at a cram tool 2021-10-11 03:41:01 +00:00
			```
Factor out the VFS since it's kinda neat 2021-10-11 04:40:05 +00:00			`/REQUIRES # A list of other packages this one requires`
			`/BUILD # 1. Perform any compile or package management tasks`
			`/PRE_INSTALL # 2. Any other tasks required before installation occurs`
			`/INSTALL # 3. Do whatever constitutes installation`
			`/POST_INSTALL # 4. Any cleanup or other tasks following installation`

			`... # Any other files are treated as package contents`

First cut at a cram tool 2021-10-11 03:41:01 +00:00			```
Factor out the VFS since it's kinda neat 2021-10-11 04:40:05 +00:00
			`Cram reads a config dir with three groups of packages`
			- `packages.d/<packagename>` contains a package that installs but probably shouldn't configure a given tool, package or group of files.
			`Configuration should be left to profiles.`
			- `profiles.d/<profilename>` contains a profile; a group of related profiles and packages that should be installed together.
			- `hosts.d/<hostname>` contains one package for each host, and should pull in a list of profiles.

			`The intent of this tool is to keep GNU Stow's intuitive model of deploying configs via symlinks, and augment it with a useful pattern for talking about "layers" / "packages" of related configs.`