routinator init does not read the paths from routinator.conf

[ichilton]

I have the following:

ichilton@routinator:~$ cat /etc/routinator/routinator.conf
repository-dir = "/var/lib/routinator/rpki-cache"
tal-dir = "/var/lib/routinator/tals"

However, routinator init writes: /home/routinator/.rpki-cache.

This means I have to copy /home/routinator/.rpki-cache/tals/* in to /var/lib/routinator/tals as part of my deployment.

routinator.init should really use the paths configured in the config file.... or at least provide a parameter to specify the paths on the command line.

Thanks!

[partim]

The only config file that Routinator picks up auto-magically is $HOME/.routinator.conf. We debated this a bit but going through a list of possible files felt surprising. So, if you want it to use /etc/routinator/routinator.conf, you have to specify this on the command line via the -c option, i.e., routinator -c /etc/routinator/routinator.conf init.

There also are options to specify the paths on the command line directly: -b for the base directory (i.e., TALs go in tals and the data in repository under it), -t for the TAL directory, and -r for the repository directory.

All these work with all commands and go before the actual command.

[ichilton]

Hi @partim,

Thanks for the info!

It's good news that the options are already available.

I believe they should be added to the help text...:

root@routinator:~# routinator init --help
routinator-init
Initializes the local repository

USAGE:
    routinator init [FLAGS] [OPTIONS]

FLAGS:
        --accept-arin-rpa     You have read and accept https://www.arin.net/resources/manage/rpki/rpa.pdf
        --decline-arin-rpa    Same as '--skip-tal arin' (deprecated)
    -f, --force               Overwrite an existing TAL directory
    -h, --help                Prints help information
        --list-tals           List available TALs and exit
        --rir-tals            Install all RIR production TALs
        --rir-test-tals       Install all RIR testbed TALs
    -V, --version             Prints version information

OPTIONS:
        --skip-tal <skip-tal>...    Name a TAL not to be in installed
        --tal <tal>...              Name a TAL to be installed (--list-tals shows available TALs)

If none of --rir-tals, --rir-test-tals, or --tal is given, assumes --rir-tals.

Thanks,

Ian

[partim]

I’ll look into if and how that is possible – these texts are auto-generated by the command line library we are using.

I’ll leave the issue open as a reminder.

[ichilton]

Thank you! 👍

[ichilton]

To confirm, I tested routinator -c /etc/routinator/routinator.conf init and can confirm it does create the right paths. Much better! :)

So the only problem is indeed that it doesn't show those parameters in the help text.

Thanks,

Ian

[AlexanderBand]

I'll be sure to document this scenario as well.

[partim]

In #607, I added an ‘after help’ message to all the subcommands that will be printed at the bottom of the help output and says ‘Additional global options are available. Please consult 'routinator --help' for those.’

This isn’t ideal but the best I can do without bigger changes.