The dmake Host

When dmake begins execution it searches for a runtime configuration file to know where to distribute jobs.

Generally, this file is located in your home directory on the dmake host and is named .dmakerc.

dmake searches for the runtime configuration file in the following locations and in the following order:

1. The path name you specify on the command line using the -c option

2. The path name you specify using the DMAKE_RCFILE makefile macro

3. The path name you specify using the DMAKE_RCFILE environment variable

4. In $(HOME)/.dmakerc

If a runtime configuration file is not found, dmake switches to parallel mode and distributes two jobs (the default) to the dmake host. You can change this using the -j option, or DMAKE_MAX_JOBS.

The runtime configuration file may contain a list of build servers and the number of jobs you want distributed to each build server.

The following is a sample of a simple runtime configuration file:

# My machine. This entry causes dmake to distribute to it
falcon { jobs = 1 }
hawk
eagle { jobs = 3 }
# Manager's machine. She's usually at meetings
heron { jobs = 4 }
avocet

The entries: falcon, hawk, eagle, heron, and avocet are listed as build servers.

You can specify the number of jobs you want distributed to each build server. The default number of jobs is two.

Any line that begins with the "#" character is interpreted as a comment.

You can also construct groups of build servers in the runtime configuration file. This provides you with the flexibility of easily switching between different groups of build servers as circumstances warrant. For instance you may define a different group of build servers for builds under different operating systems, or define groups of build servers that have special software installed on them. The build servers must be all the same architecture and have the same OS installed.

The following runtime configuration file contains groups:

earth                   { jobs = 2 }
mars                    { jobs = 3 }

group lab1 {
            host falcon   { jobs = 3 }
            host hawk
            host eagle    { jobs = 3 }
}
            
group lab2 {
            host heron
            host avocet   { jobs = 3 }
            host stilt    { jobs = 2 }

            
group labs {
            group lab1
            group lab2
}

group sunos5.x {
            group labs
            host jupiter
            host venus    {     jobs = 2 }
            host pluto    {     jobs = 3 }
}