POSTMAP=/usr/local/postfix/sbin/postmap # # High-level 'commands' # all: aliases.done access.done reload_if_needed.done push push: push.done reload: postfix reload stop: postfix stop start: postfix start reload_if_needed.done: aliases.done access.done postfix reload touch reload_if_needed.done clean: rm -f $(PDIR)/aliases.pag $(PDIR)/aliases.dir $(PDIR)/access.dir $(PDIR)/access.pag push.aliases.done push.access.done reload_if_needed.done # # Recipes for particular files that need indexing/regeneration # # When aliases changes, generate the .pag and .dir files aliases.done: $(PDIR)/aliases.pag $(PDIR)/aliases.dir $(PDIR)/aliases.pag $(PDIR)/aliases.dir: $(PDIR)/aliases $(NEWALIASES) # When access changes, generate the .pag and .dir files access.done: $(PDIR)/access.dir $(PDIR)/access.pag $(PDIR)/access.dir $(PDIR)/access.pag: $(PDIR)/access $(POSTMAP) $(PDIR)/access # # pushes # push.done: push.aliases.done push.access.done ssh server2 'cd /etc && make' touch $@ push.aliases.done: aliases.done scp $(PDIR)/aliases server2:$(PDIR)/aliases touch $@ push.access.done: access.done scp $(PDIR)/access server2:$(PDIR)/access touch $@
This Makefile is a good starting point for you to use on your systems. It is rather sophisticated because we do things to make sure Postfix isn't reloaded unless absolutely necessary.
With a Makefile like this, you no longer have to remember a multitude of commands and which ones should be used for which updated files. You never have to worry about forgetting to type a command. Many complicated procedures are reduced to:
Edit the appropriate file.
Type make.
make can be the ultimate tool for bringing together many smaller automated processes. Once, I had to merge the processes and procedures for three large networks into one. Each network had a different way of managing its aliases, hosts, and other administrative files. As I learned the procedures for each network, I constructed a Makefile specific to that network's master server. The high-level recipe names were the same in all three networks, but the commands they ran to accomplish the work were specific to each network.
The strategy was to create a new master server that would eventually replace all the legacy servers. Initially, the new master's Makefile simply initiated a make on the three legacy masters via rsh (this was long before ssh). I then migrated recipes to the new master one at a time. For example, first I decided that the new master would be the single source for the aliases file. I merged the aliases files of the three legacy networks and put the result on the new master. Once it was tested there, I added recipes on the new master to push that
