Biggest Problem with Nagios: Poor Setup/Installation

[Sam Stave]

OK so that was a completely asinine response.\

First of all I have read *all* the documentation. in
addition I have been going throug the lists archive,
and posting to the list. I have read that PDF and
other contributed documentation as well.

So, since you are such an expert why not replying with
something more than "What?"

For example:

> It requires that a host be defined, but there is no
> file name
> requirement.  In fact, I have no host.cfg.  or
> hosts.cfg, which is
> default.

Actually when you install nagios, it does not create
these files as you may be well aware. However it DOES
state that you should use make install-config to
create the sample config files - of which there is a
hosts.cfg. NO place does it state that having no
host.cfg is a Default way to have the system
configured.

It is obvious from your response that you are merely
attempting to make yourself feel better about your
understanding being greater than anothers - rather
than actually contributing anything of true value.

Why not expand upon how you state not having a host
file is a default. I just went back again and read the
object definition documentation - and nowhere does it
state that no host file is defult. Infact since the
make install-config CREATES a hosts.cfg file - it
would lead one to believe that having this file is in
fact the default.


I also did mention that what i had wrote was jsut off
the top of my head.... but it was a hell of a lot more
clear than what my experience has been in reading all
the docs and some of the respondants to issues on this
list, such as is evident from the pompous rediculous
response of mr vier here.

anyway - the point is that it should be fairly obvious
that some people do find defficiencies in the
documentation - as some people need things spelled out
in a non-technical description more than others, and I
hope to alleviate that to as much a degree as I can -
as opposed to making attacks with no value-add on the
list...

Sam


--- jeff vier <jeff.vier at tradingtechnologies.com>
wrote:

> On Mon, 2004-08-16 at 12:05 -0700, Sam Stave wrote:
> > Well, i can tell you that this is an extremely
> poorly
> > documented util.
> 
> You can tell us?
> 
> So, this isn't a subjective issue?
> 
> Damn, I guess I was mistaken, then.  I was of the
> impression that it's
> amazingly documented.
> 
> > There is no place that states nor clearly
> describes
> > the exact methods for getting a check to run -
> > especially when it is not an actual service that a
> > host is presenting to external users.
> 
> What?
> 
> > There is a tremendous amount of trial and error
> and
> > WTF type of reading and re-reading the config
> files to
> > figure out how the thing is supposed to be
> configured.
> 
> Maybe you should read the DOCS.
> 
> > While this is a great way to really learn what the
> > tool is doing and how it actually does it - just
> > because one person with sys admin experience can
> make
> > many deductions quickly and flow past any issues -
> > most of the undocumented idiosyncrosis of the
> utility
> > can be show-stoppers for the "average" person.
> 
> I think the "idiosyncrosis" (sic) are minimal, and
> well documented.
> I, and many others, judging by this thread, have
> never had the
> "problems" that you and the original poster
> describe.  Perhaps that says
> more about you (and him) than the tool.
> 
> > I am writing a clear and concise installation and
> > configuration run-book which i will publish on
> this
> > list, so one example is:
> > 
> > Nagios is a utility which is designed to natively
> > check external services presented to clients on a
> > network. Nagios will act as a client of the
> service
> > and access the service to determine if it is
> actually
> > running.
> 
> SOME checks work that way.  Many don't.
> Describing ICMP (ping) as a client/service
> relationship is awfully
> convoluted.  Not to mention passive services.  and
> negation.  And load
> checks, and disk checks.  and others.
> 
> >  In order to do this, Nagios requires that one
> > host definition be placed in the host.cfg file
> 
> Not true.
> 
> It requires that a host be defined, but there is no
> file name
> requirement.  In fact, I have no host.cfg.  or
> hosts.cfg, which is
> default.
> 
> > (usually a host is defined as a single IP) - then
> 
> what?
> 
> > services associated with this host can be listed
> in
> > the service.cfg file. For example, host 10.1.1.1
> may
> > be a web/ftp server.
> 
> So, you don't delineate between host_name and
> address?  And you think
> Nagios has idiosyncrasies?
> 
> > For 10.1.1.1, you would tell Nagios to run a
> check_ftp
> > and a check_http service check.
> > 
> > Your host definition in host.cfg looks like this:
> > 
> > [Standard host definition]
> > 
> > A service check definition associated with a host
> > should be entered into service.cfg like this:
> > 
> > [standrd service definition]
> > 
> > You can list as many service checks to a single
> host
> > as you like.
> > 
> > The services that Nagios can check natively are
> all
> > *external* services. For internal system checks,
> such
> > as check_disk check_load and other checks which
> must
> > run commands on a local host, Nagios needs to be
> > configured to run these checks via ssh. The
> 
> Or nsca, you know.
> 
> > check_by_ssh command allows for Nagios to SSH to a
> > machine, execute a Nagios plugin that is
> *installed on
> > the remote host* and report based on the output of
> > that check.
> > 
> > -----
> > 
> > That is the level of description that Nagios does
> > *not* have... and that was just off the top of my
> > head... and I am new to Nagios. So i am sure that
> > those who are much more familiar with it should
> have
> > been able to write some better documentation.
> 
> You *really* didn't read the docs, did you?
> 
> > additionally, there are other issues, like what
> > dependancy packages need to be added. The fact
> that it
> > appears that check_by_ssh does *NOT* work when
> both
> > the Nagios Server and Client are solaris (as I
> have
> > found - check_by_ssh returns no output when I have
> > both server and client as solaris boxes - but I am
> > currently setting up both a linux server and
> client to
> > verify this)
> 
> compile-time dependencies are a fact of life.  If
> you're not used to
> them such that it causes you this level of
> consternation, perhaps pre-
> compiled packages are a better option.
> 
> > The installation and configuration runbook that I
> am
> > writing is for me, but i am happy to share it with
> the
> > Nagios community....
> > 
> > Sam
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > 
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> > 
> >
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