[support] multiple sites on same install was: Re: Upgrade to Drupal 5?

[Anton]

On 17/10/2007, Ivan Sergio Borgonovo <mail at webthatworks.it> wrote:
> Modules in different sites tend to have different versions. Adding
> sites to the same code base may mitigate these problems.

I use the svn:externals property for that (developing modules branches
outside the main Drupal core codebase). More write up here:

http://drupal.org/node/118936

We have changed our repository a bit since then to make it a bit
simpler, but you get the general idea and should be able to adapt it
to your needs.

> I can't see how it can be easily scriptable and version controllable.
> I see maintaining different code bases a management burden.
> I tweak something in a module (no matter how I would like to avoid to
> touch work maintained by someone else, but sometimes you've to do it).
> Then I've to replicate the same change everywhere or a) I'll forget
> b) changes in other modules won't be in sync.
>
> It is trivial but it is one more management step.

That's why separating out your module development and using
svn:externals (see link above) is so useful. You can check your module
tweaks in once for a certain branch, and every site that uses that
module branch automatically gets the updated module.

> mmm let me understand... you share *all* the codebase including
> modules etc... with the exception of settings... just to edit the
> production settings before checkout and let it land on the server as
> you need it and not as on your local copy?

All settings live in the repo - we don't exclude anything from the repo.

No editing of production settings required. The production settings
live in the repo under the production sites directory (eg
/sites/example.com). Our deployment script does an svn export into a
temp directory, then scps the files to the production server.


-- 
Cheers
Anton