`whereami' provides a configurable and extensible framework for
automatic location-detection and reconfiguration of computers, typically
laptops.
"Detection"
Detection is handled through the use of various network and hardware
probing tools. These tools have been wrapped in small shell scripts to interface
them to whereami, but the end-user with different requirements may wish to
extend these in some situations.
whereami processes the file /etc/whereami/detect.conf
performing the tests specified in there in order to decide which location the computer is
currently located at.
For full detail on the discovery process, you should read the detect.conf(5)
manpage.
"Configuration"
Configuration is handled through standard shell scripting. A variety of small
utility scripts are provided and the author is always willing to accept more.
The file /etc/whereami/whereami.conf is parsed and a script built containing
the actions specified there which are associated with the locations found during the
detection phase. Actions may be configured for when leaving, remaining, or
arriving at a location.
Once the script has been built, it is run to effect the necessary changes to
the system configuration.
OPTIONS
This program follows the modern command-line syntax
preceding each option with a double dash (`--'). Short form options
are also available, but are not documented (RTFC :-)
"--debug"
Run in debugging mode. A verbose output is provided and
the resulting script is output to the screen and not executed.
"--scriptdebug"
Run in script debugging mode. Each script supplied with `whereami'
will `set -o xtrace' if the environment variable `DEBUGWHEREAMI' is set to
non-blank. This parameter will set that variable. The script which is built by
whereami will also respond to the environment variable.
"--syslog"
Output some logging information to syslog. The 'user' facility is used for
this, and it provides an insight into which locations whereami has chosen, and
why.
""
In combination with --scriptdebug above, this can
be very useful for debugging your configuration. Also note that the default
installation turns this on for apm and init actions.
"--noactions"
Just do the detection and print the location name. Don't build and run
the script from whereami.conf.
""
You might do this if you wanted to use whereami's
detection, but use something else for configuration. Perhaps you could achieve the
same end with a very simple whereami.conf, but there should always be two ways to
do anything :-).
"--nolocking"
whereami won't normally let two copies of
whereami run at the same time. Use this option if you can come up with
a scenario where you should allow this to happen!
"--mapping"
This will persuade whereami to do only the detection
stage, and output a list of the detected locations, suitable for use as a
mapping script with ifupdown.
"--hint
Provides some hints to the detection process. The locations set
by this parameter (a comma-delimited list) may be referenced by rules
in your detect.conf.
"--basedir
Specifies the base directory which will contain both the detect.conf and
whereami.conf. The default is `/etc/whereami' which should be right for normal
use.
"--statedir
Specifies the state directory in which whereami will
write files indicating the current and previous locations (iam , iwas) and the
script which is run for this environment (whereiam.sh).
"--from
Overrides whereami's knowledge of where you have come from. The
location_list will be a comma-separated list of the
locations which you are leaving.
""
Normally `whereami' maintains a history of locations, so that it knows
where you have come from (and what might consequently have to be de-configured)
as well as knowing that your location has changed.
"--run_from
This provides a mechanism for calling software, such as init scripts, pcmcia startup
or apm events, to pass some of that source information to whereami,
where it is promptly ignored, at present.
""
I have a possibly misguided idea that this might be useful somehow, but I can't think
of any application of it at this point!
"location_list"
Overrides whereami's testing of where you are. The
location_list will be a comma-separated list of the
locations which you are now at.
""
You might use this if you wished to bypass the detection phase, using some
other package to handle that.
There is some further documentation in HTML available
in /usr/share/doc/whereami/manual
FILES
"/etc/whereami/detect.conf"
Defines the process of detection.
"/etc/whereami/whereami.conf"
Defines the actions performed as a result of entering, leaving, or remaining
within a particular location.
KNOWN BUGS
This man page only documents the current perl version of whereami. For backward compatibility
with people's setups, it is possible to configure your system to run the older shell-script, which
is currently undocumented.
If you wish to switch from the shell script to the new perl program you will need to create an
appropriate `detect.conf' file to define your location detection parameters. Your existing whereami.conf
file should be compatible with this version. Once you have created a detect.conf file in /etc/whereami
you should run `dpkg-reconfigure whereami' and respond to the questions.
AUTHOR
This manual page was written by Andrew McMillan <debian@mcmillan.net.nz> for
the Debian GNU/Linux system (but may be used by others). Permission is
granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under
the terms of the GPL version 2.