One plugins.yml file for two discourse sites

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1

Hey all,

Is it possible to use a cmd to include a file from a remote location into the app.yml file?

I have two sites that i would like to have a standard list of plugins. Instead of copy and pasting it everything, and sometimes forget to do it, Would I be able to have it on and just pull it in every time I rebuild the app?

e.g
<include executable="wget --no-check-certificate -q -O - http://LocationA/plugins.yml" noexec="no">

2

Hi @IAmGav

This may not be exactly what you are looking for; and I have not fully worked this out yet, but here is the gist of it:

  1. Create a directory /var/discourse/mytemplates
  2. Add a new template file called plugins.templates.yml in that directory, for example:
hooks:
  after_code:
    - exec:
        cd: $home/plugins
        cmd:
          - git clone https://github.com/discourse/docker_manager.git
          - git clone https://github.com/discourse/discourse-bbcode.git
          - git clone https://github.com/discourse/discourse-sitemap.git
          - git clone https://github.com/discourse/discourse-solved.git
          - git clone https://github.com/discourse/discourse-whos-online.git
          - git clone https://github.com/discourse/discourse-checklist.git
  1. Create a new git repo for that directory and push it to github.
  2. Add a template to your yml files for these plugins, for example:
templates:
  - "templates/web.template.yml"
  - "templates/web.ratelimited.template.yml"
  - "templates/web.socketed.template.yml"
  - "mytemplates/plugins.template.yml"

I have already tested up to this point, and I can add plugins and build the container using a template file in this manner, no problem.

The only piece I have not tested yet is to add a line or two in launcher to pull the repo; and frankly, I have not worked on this part yet.

 git clone https://github.com/my_super_repo/mytemplates.git

Even though I have not worked on this part yet, but I’m sure it is doable; because I have already tested the part about pulling in the plugins in the container build from a template, and it works fine; so the only piece left for this approach is to add code to launcher and test it to pull the mytemplates repo from github.

However, to be frank; this technique seems like a lot of unnecessary work:

  • Editing launcher to pull the template from a repo
  • Adding a new template entry to the yml file (for the plugins)

It is so easy to copy-and-paste into the yml files and “be done with it”; but I also find this idea interesting. Sys admin puzzles are always fun for me, so it was fun to think about this for you.

Anyway, the short answer to your question @IAmGav is that “yes, it is doable” and of course, if you want to try it, then “go for it”.

Hope this helps.

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