The Config Keeper

Have you ever wondered:

"Jeez Luiz, how can I manage all my configs across my desktop and server?"

– You

or maybe:

"How can I possibly keep all my configs in sync across computers?"

– You again

ck is the solution you've been looking for all your life.

With it you can keep track of all the configs you cherish and love, and store them neat and tidy in a folder you can later sync using your favorite sync solution (git, nextcloud, rsync). You can even gift your precious data to Google and use GDrive (not recommended!!).

After you create your local config db you can list them, edit them and even search in them, all within the comforting hands of ck, your faithful companion.

You can also use ck to store sensitive configurations (with passwords, etc) and instruct it to save them in a different folder, so they won't be in the same place with the normal ones (in the event you want to share your configs with the rest of us).

# clone the repo
> cd ~/code; git clone https://gitlab.com/grm-grm/ck
# make a build directory and enter it
> mkdir ~/ck_build; cd ~/ck_build;
# run cmake
> cmake ~/code/ck 
# run make
> make
# install it
> make install
# run ck
> ck

Please be kind to each other.

option(CK_DEBUG "Build with debug symbols, asan and warnings")
option(CK_TESTS "Make the tests")
option(CK_SHARED "Build with shared lib")

cmake -DCK_DEBUG=1 -DCK_TESTS=1 ~/code/ck

> export CC=clang
# or
> export CC=gcc

# clone the repo
> cd ~/code; git clone https://gitlab.com/grm-grm/ck
# make a build directory and enter it
> mkdir ~/ck_build; cd ~/ck_build;
# run cmake
> cmake -DCK_DEBUG=1 -DCK_TESTS=1 ~/code/ck
# run make
> make
# check ck
> ./test-ck
# run ck
> ./ck

$ ./test-ck

$ ./test-ck -h
ck test suite
use without flags to run all tests

flags:
  -u, --unit            run only the unit tests
  -r, --regression      run only the regression tests
  -c, --clear           remove test files
                         use if the tests crush unexpectedly
  -h, --help, *         print this

See the manpage below.

ck's goal is to assist with the configuration file management.

This section is an example usage.

cd ~
# make the directories for the configs
$ mkdir -p configs/vc configs/sec

# initialize new ck
$ ck init configs/vc configs/sec

# add emacs configs
## primary config
$ ck add emacs .emacs.d/orgconf.org -p
## secret config, with passwords and naughty words
$ ck add emacs .emacs.d/accounts.org -s
## and another one for emacs
$ ck add emacs .emacs.d/init.el

# add tmux config
$ ck add tmux .tmux.conf -p

# add X configs
$ ck add X .xinitrc
$ ck add X .Xresources

# add ssh configs (secret)
$ ck add ssh .ssh/config -s -p
$ ck add ssh .ssh/authorized_keys -s
# When running with sudo, we need to specify the ck config
# location.
$ sudo ck -c /home/ckuser add ssh /etc/ssh/sshd_config -s

# list the configs in a treelike structure with basename only
$ ck list tree -b
# or with the full path & attributes
$ ck list tree -a

# list only the paths in python or lisp like lists
$ ck list paths -t lisp
$ ck list programs -t python -b -a

# list emacs configs
$ ck list -p emacs

# search the configs
$ ck search Hostname
$ ck search "search term with spaces"
# escape symbols
$ ck search \(

# edit the primary config of emacs
$ ck edit emacs
# edit a non-primary config of ssh
$ ck e ssh authorized_keys
# edit a root config
$ sudo ck -c /home/ckuser e ssh sshd_config

# delete a program with all the configs
$ ck delete emacs
# or a specific config
$ ck del -c /home/ckuser/.emacs.d/init.el

# restore all links (on a new instalation)
$ ck restore all
# restore a program's links
$ ck r -p emacs

# get help for an action
$ ck h add
$ ck --help e

ck

NAME
SYNOPSIS
DESCRIPTION
CONFIGURATION
OPTIONS
ACTIONS
EXIT STATUS
FILES
BUILD VALUES
VERSION
AUTHOR

---

NAME

ck − manage configuration across the system

SYNOPSIS

ck [−v|−−verbose] [−c|−−config DIR] action [...]
ck [version|−−version]
ck init VERSION_CONTROL_DIR SECRET_DIR
ck add PROGRAM_NAME CONFIG_PATH [−p] [−s]
ck delete PROGRAM_NAME|{−c CONFIG_PATH}
ck list tree [−a] [−b]
ck list {-p PROGRAM_NAME}|programs|paths [−t {plain|python|lisp}] [−a] [−b]
ck list ckconf
ck edit PROGRAM_NAME [CONFIG_BASENAME]
ck search SEARCH_TERM
ck restore PROGRAM_NAME|all
ck help action

DESCRIPTION

ck manages configuration files in a Linux system. To that end it provides an action based command line interface.

ck needs a database and an rc file to run. It also needs two directories (stored in the rc file), the VERSION_CONRTOL_DIR and the SECRET_DIR. This is where the configurations will end up after they are added to ck. The init action takes care of them. For more details see the ACTIONS and FILES sections below.

In ck terms a program is an entity that has one or more configs attached to it. Each program can have exactly one primary config. Upon adding a config to ck, it is moved to the appropriate directory, and then symbolically linked back to it’s original place (ln -s).

In a later time you can sync the VERSION_CONRTOL_DIR and SECRET_DIR. You can also restore the links given these two directories and the correspondig rc file and database.

CONFIGURATION

ck uses sqlite to index the configuration files. The init action by default creates a directory named .ck under $HOME in witch the ckrc and ckdb files reside. See the FILES section for more details.

One can have multiple config directories with different configurations each. Using the config or −c option one can set the path in which ck will search for ckrc and ckdb. See the OPTIONS section for more details.

OPTIONS

Change ck behaviour using the following options. They must be present before any action.
−−verbose, −v

[WIP]
Currently prints the log. Must be the first argument in order to work.

−−config DIR, −c DIR

Use ckdb and ckrc residing in DIR instead of the default ~/.ck/.

−−version, version

Print version and licence information, and quit.

ACTIONS

Each action has several aliases. The selected action must be after the OPTIONS if any. All available actions can be seen in the SYNOPSIS section above.

Each action takes a number of arguments and flags.

Initialize ck
Create the ck database (ckdb) and initialize it. Create the ck config file (ckrc) and add the directory paths to it.

USAGE

ck init VERSION_CONTROL_DIR SECRET_DIR

ALIASES

init, i, −i

ARGUMENTS

VERSION_CONTROL_DIR

The directory where configs will be stored by default. File must exist.

SECRET_DIR

The directory where configs will be stored when using the −s flag in add. File must exist.

EXAMPLES

$ ck init /home/ckuser/configs/vc home/ckuser/configs/sec
$ ck i configs/vc configs/sec

Add config
Add a config to the database (ckdb). Each config belongs to a program. Every program can have multiple configs under it and one of them can be primary. The edit action will open the primary config by default.

USAGE

ck add PROGRAM_NAME CONFIG_PATH [−p] [−s]

ALIASES

add, a, −a

ARGUMENTS

PROGRAM_NAME

The name of the program the config belongs at.

CONFIG_PATH

Path to the config. Can be relative.

FLAGS

−s

Mark the config as secret. It will be stored on the SECRET_DIR.

−p

Mark the config as primary. The edit action will open this by default.

EXAMPLES

# add emacs configs
## primary config
$ ck add emacs ~/.emacs.d/orgconf.org -p
## secret config, with passwords
$ ck add emacs ~/.emacs.d/accounts.org -s
## another one for emacs
$ ck add emacs ~/.emacs.d/init.el

Delete config
Delete a config or a program from the database (ckdb). This will not touch the actual file and link. It is up to the user to handle it.

USAGE

ck delete PROGRAM_NAME|{−c CONFIG_PATH}

ALIASES

delete, del, d, −d

ARGUMENTS

PROGRAM_NAME

Delete the program and all it’s configs.

−c CONFIG_PATH

Delete the config. This has to be the full path of the link as shown by the list action.

EXAMPLES
$ ck delete emacs
$ ck del -c /home/ckuser/.emacs.d/init.el

List
List programs, configs and ck configuration values.

USAGE

ck list tree [−a] [−b]
ck list {-p PROGRAM_NAME}|programs|paths [−t {plain|python|lisp}] [−a] [−b]
ck list ckconf

ALIASES

list, ls, l, -ls, −l

ARGUMENTS

tree

List programs with their configs in a tree like structure.

paths

List all the config paths ck keeps track of.

programs

List all the programs ck keeps track of.

−c PROGRAM_NAME

List all the configs of PROGRAM_NAME.

ckconf

List the ck configuration values, like the VERSION_CONTROL_DIR and SECRET_DIR.

FLAGS

−t

Set the type of the list. Can be either plain (the default) a simple list, python to print it like a python array or lisp to print it like a lisp list.

−a

Add attributes to the listing (when aplicable). The attributes are [s] for secret, [p] for primary and [root] if the file is owned by the root user.

−b

Print the config basename instead of the full path.

EXAMPLES

$ ck list tree -a
$ ck list paths -t lisp
$ ck list programs -t python
$ ck list -p emacs

Edit configs
Edit a config stored in ck with the $EDITOR. Edit will open the primary config of the program. If there is no primary config but the program only has one config, edit will open that. Whenever there is ambiguity, a list of possible configs will be shown.

USAGE

ck edit PROGRAM_NAME [CONFIG_BASENAME]

ALIASES

edit, e, −e

ARGUMENTS

PROGRAM_NAME

The name of the program to be edited. If the program has only one config or you want to edit the primary one, no further action is required.

CONFIG_BASENAME

The basename of the config to be edited. This has to follow the program name. It is only needed when editing a config other than the primary one.

EXAMPLES

$ ck edit emacs
$ ck e tmux .tmux.conf

Search configs
Grep through the configs. This action is equivalent to this:

$ ck ls paths | xargs grep -H -n "search term"

Thus for more advanced search through the configs one can use other programs and replace grep in the command above.

USAGE

ck search SEARCH_TERM

ALIASES

search, grep, s, −s

ARGUMENTS

SEARCH_TERM

The term you wish to search for. If it’s a phrase enclose it in "". If it’s a special character you can escape it with \ (backslash).

EXAMPLES

$ ck search "search term" $ ck search "quire"

Restore configs
Given a working ck instance (ckdb + ckrc + directories in ckrc with configs), restore shall recreate the links from the config directories in ckrc back to their corresponding position when added to ck. It is useful for copying configs to a new linux installation or restoring deleted links. It can either restore a specific program or all of them.

NOTE: If ck tracks configs that are owned by root, simply running

$ ck restore ...

will fail due to permissions. To remedy this, ck will alter the owner and group of a link to match the one in the original config file. Thus, running

$ sudo ck -c /home/ckuser/.ck restore ...

will restore the root user’s links as it should and the user links will have the user as the owner instead of the root.

ck checks that the configs exist and that the location for the link is avaliable before making any links. However, in the even that symlink fails for some other reason, the process will stop as is. The user will have to take care of the already created links, if that’s the case.

USAGE

ck restore PROGRAM_NAME|all

ALIASES

restore, r, −r

ARGUMENTS

PROGRAM_NAME

The name of the program to be restored.

all

Restore all programs ck keeps track of.

EXAMPLES

$ ck restore all
$ ck restore -p emacs

Get help
Get help for any given action from the command line.

USAGE

ck help action

ALIASES

help, h, −−help, -h, −?

ARGUMENTS

action

Any action alias you wish to get help for.

EXAMPLES

$ ck help add
$ ck h d
$ ck --help ls

EXIT STATUS

ck shall return 0 if the action was completed without an error, -1 otherwise

FILES

By default ck will store it’s files in ~/.ck/. Using the −c|−−config one can change this.

ck generated files
~/.ck/ckrc

Store the configuration values (VERSION_CONTROL_DIR and SECRET_DIR).

~/.ck/ckdb

SQLite3 database.

User files
VERSION_CONTROL_DIR

This is where the configuration files will end up by default. It’s value is set with the init action, but can be changed by editing ckrc.

SECRET_DIR

This is where the configuration files will end up when adding them with the -s flag. It’s value is set with the init action, but can be changed by editing ckrc.

BUILD VALUES

compiler: @CMAKE_C_COMPILER@
flags: @CMAKE_C_FLAGS@

VERSION

ck version @ck_MAJOR_VERSION@.@ck_MINOR_VERSION@.@ck_PATCH_VERSION@

AUTHOR

gramanas

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