utils

utils is a repository of scripts used by the Open Computing Facility at the University of California, Berkeley.

What belongs here

Scripts for humans do

In general, scripts which might be executed by a person should go here. System scripts (things that go primarily in cronjobs or similar) should go in the ocf/puppet repo instead.

Scripts of all languages are welcome, and should be organized into appropriate directories. Use staff/ for anything that will typically only be executed by staff.

Libraries don't

If your utility is meant to be imported, it should probably go in ocflib instead. If you're writing a script whose functionality might be useful elsewhere, separate that out, put it in ocflib, and call it from a binary in this repo.

General best practices

All languages

• Executable files should be marked executable, contain a proper shebang, and generally not have a file extension.

Python

• Use ocflib functionality when it exists, and put reusable code there (and call it from an executable here).
• When possible, target Python 3.4 and 3.5 (same versions as ocflib)
• Generally follow PEP8.

Shell/Bash

• Use /bin/bash over /bin/sh unless your script is for some alien environment where there is no bash. Don't be afraid to use bashisms.
• Typically add set -eu -o pipefail, especially for any complicated scripts. This (a) stops on errors, (b) errors on accessing undefined variables, and (c) errors on failures in the middle of a pipeline. Together these make Bash into something resembling a passable programming language.
• Quote things and otherwise follow best practices.

Other languages

• Consider writing in Python instead.