Topic: Clarification on Custom Templates in SME Server 7.1

[uniqsys]

I am in need of some clarification on the use/existance of custom templates in SME 7.1.

In SME 6.01 I remember the manual explaining the process of creating custom templates.  I am at a loss to find similar help in the 7.1 manual.  The Development section talks extensively and pellucidly about the template structure and how it works.  But I can not find a mention of the custom template creation or use, even though postings direct you to it.  Documentation on custom templates just doesn't seem to exist in the 7.1 manual. (At least I can't find it.)

I was going to create some custom templates in a similar way as in 6.01 but after seeing the caveats about removing all custom templates on a server migration from 6.01 to 7.1 and this dearth of documentation; I was wondering if custom templates are being discouraged in use and are to be replaced by creating fragments directly in the /etc/e-smith/templates section.

I may be a bit too cautious on this, but if someone could clarify this for me before I jump into making custom templates that should really be made in the templates section I would be grateful.

Thanks in advance.

PS If documentation needs to be done in this area, I'd be willing to help provided I understand it first.

[stephen noble]

add a -custom onto
templates or templates-user

use -custom for one off changes for your site

a contrib rpm should put the fragment in the regular place
if it conflicts with the original you should raise a bug to modify the original

I guess instructions in a howto are a one off site change ?

write whatever comes to mind, the next person can improve you put in place
http://wiki.contribs.org/SME_Server:Documentation:Technical_Manual:Chapter3#Custom_Templates

[CharlieBrady]

I was wondering if custom templates are being discouraged in use ...

No. If there were any change in the status of custom templates it would be prominently mentioned in the release notes.

If you think something (anything) should be clarified in the documentation, then please open a bug in the documentation section of the bug tracker.

Thanks

[gordonr]

Documentation on custom templates just doesn't seem to exist in the 7.1 manual. (At least I can't find it.)

They are covered in depth in the developers guide which is linked from here:

http://wiki.contribs.org/development/

In particular, see:

http://mirror.contribs.org/smeserver/contribs/gordonr/devguide/html/devguide.html#TEMPLATES

I would like to avoid duplication of this information in other places, if at all possible. If the dev guide section needs to be clarified, let's fix it there.

[stephen noble]

sure,

http://wiki.contribs.org/SME_Server:Documentation:Technical_Manual:Chapter3
is only meant to explain the concepts to non developers

we already have five links to the devguide in under 20 lines of explanations

[edit]
I'll also move the devguide into the same grouping as the other manuals
and expand the index page with the devguide chapters

it may help with searches if there was a readonly copy of the devguide on the wiki ?

[gordonr]

it may help with searches if there was a readonly copy of the devguide on the wiki ?

If it will help, go for it. Or we could find a canonical place for it and I can push it to there instead of my contrib directory.

Please also raise a bug against the dev guide "How do we update Wiki when devguide changes?". I'll need to update the makefile to push it somewhere else, but it shouldn't be hard.

[uniqsys]

sure,
it may help with searches if there was a readonly copy of the devguide on the wiki ?

It would help newbies a lot.  A search should respond to 'custom templates' as well as 'templates custom'.

[uniqsys]

In particular, see:

http://mirror.contribs.org/smeserver/contribs/gordonr/devguide/html/devguide.html#TEMPLATES

I would like to avoid duplication of this information in other places, if at all possible. If the dev guide section needs to be clarified, let's fix it there.

Gordon, Thanks for the redirection.

  I originally went to the wiki and I even looked to the dev guide section because I couldn't find anything in the wiki (other than the concept in the Technical section).  The section on custom templates in the dev guide is so buried that I guess I missed it.  Can I put a section in the USEAGE of the wiki on custom templates showing an example?  One thing I want to do is modify the MOTD.  It would be a good example for this.  My idea is that some sys admins would like to modify simple things like MOTD without really being a developer.


PS Sorry for the lateness of this reply.  We have been lambing this past week -2 sets of triplets, quadruplets, and lots of twins.