August 26th, 2007
ezjail
The best tool I’ve ever seen.
When, some days ago, I come back to the FreeBSD ports collection looking for any package related to the jail system, I took the time to try this little framework build by Dirk Engling to manage with the least administrative effort a group of jails. You might not to trust me, but it’s the first time in my work life (at least, as I can remember) that I found a solution which seems not to have any defect, a piece of software built to address very specific needs, a wonderful tool which does not add any complexity to the target system and at the same time accomplishes completely and with extraordinary performances the goals it was born to get.
Actually the ezjail tools are only few very simple shell scripts working together to make it easier, faster, dependable and safer to manage a collection of jailed systems. It is exactly what should be any IT solution: simple and effective, without the arrogance to do whatever it is not addressed to (it does its job by relaying on the rc jail system script).
It’s a rare case to make me spend such enthusiastic words about anything built by a human being… 🙂 Thanks a lot to Dirk, and to any other who contribute with their work and their expertise to develop a better IT!