# kiwi: simple, consistent, powerful

The simple tool for managing container servers


## Quick start

- Learn to use `docker` with `docker-compose`
- Install kiwi-scp
- Look at [the example instance](./example)
- Look at the output of `kiwi --help`
- Start building your own instances


## Installation

A convenience installer is available as [install.sh](./install.sh) in this directory.
You can `curl | sh` it using the following one-liner.

```shell script
curl --proto '=https' --tlsv1.2 -sSf 'https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ldericher/kiwi-scp/master/install.sh' | sh
```

The installer downloads the `kiwi` launcher script and installs it to a location of your choice.
Please consider installing into a directory inside your `$PATH`.
Run in a root shell or use `sudo sh` instead for system-wide installation.

You should now be able to run `kiwi init --show` and see the default configuration file.
This downloads the latest version of the main kiwi-scp executable and sets it up for you.


### Adjusting environment for `kiwi`

`kiwi-scp` depends on Python 3.6 (or later), [pipenv](https://pipenv.pypa.io/), and 
[less](http://www.greenwoodsoftware.com/less/) being in your `$PATH`.

In some cases, notably when using a multi-version system such as 
[CentOS SCL](https://wiki.centos.org/AdditionalResources/Repositories/SCL), not all of these are in your `$PATH` 
at login time.

In those cases, you can simply create a `.kiwienv` file in your home directory.
It will be sourced every time you use the `kiwi` command.
For the aforementioned case where you installed `centos-release-scl` and `rh-python36`, your `~/.kiwienv` should 
contain:

```shell script
#!/bin/sh

. /opt/rh/rh-python36/enable
```


## Get started

### Create a kiwi-scp instance

Any directory is implicitly a valid `kiwi-scp` instance using the default configuration.
To prevent surprises however, you should run `kiwi init` in an empty directory and follow its directions before 
actually using `kiwi` more.


### Concept

A `kiwi-scp` instance is a directory containing a bunch of static configuration files.
"Static" there as in "those don't change during normal service operation".
These files  could be anything from actual `.conf` files to entire html-web-roots.

Non-static, but persistent files are to be kept in a "service data directory", by default `/var/kiwi`.
In your `docker-compose.yml` files, you can refer to that directory as **${TARGETROOT}**.

Start the current directory as a `kiwi-scp` instance using `kiwi up`, or stop it using `kiwi down`.
This also creates kiwi's internal hub network, which you can use as **kiwi_hub** in your `docker-compose.yml` files.


### Projects

A `kiwi-scp` instance usually contains several projects.
A project is a collection of dependent or at least logically connected services, described by a `docker-compose.yml`.
A well-known example would be webserver + php + database.

To create a project, use the `kiwi new <project-name>` command.
By default, this creates a new disabled project.
Before enabling or starting, consider editing the new project's `docker-compose.yml` file to your liking.
Finally, enable it with `kiwi enable <project-name>`.
You can also create, enable or (analogously) disable multiple projects in a single command.

Each project will have its own place in the service data directory, which you can refer to as **${TARGETDIR}**.

Finally, start a project using `kiwi up <project-name>`.


### Advanced kiwi-scp

`kiwi-scp` extends the logical bounds of `docker-compose` to handling multiple projects.


#### The `kiwi_hub`

With kiwi-scp, you get the internal kiwi_hub network for free.
It allows for network communication between services in different projects.
Be aware, services only connected to the kiwi_hub can't use a port mapping!
In most cases, you will want to use this:

```yaml
networks:
  - default
  - kiwi_hub
``` 


#### The `CONFDIR`

Sometimes, it's convenient to re-use configuration files across projects.
For this use case, create a directory named `conf` in a project.
Those will all be combined into a directory available as **${CONFDIR}** in your `docker-compose.yml` files.

#### For everything else, look at `kiwi --help` 
#### Happy admin-ing!