Open Source Unix Shell Deployment Tools for BSD

m23 is a free software distribution system (license: GPL), that installs (via network, starting with partitioning and formatting) and administrates (updates, adds / removes software, adds / removes scripts) clients with Debian, (X/K)Ubuntu and LinuxMint. It is used for deployment of Linux clients in schools, institutions and enterprises. The m23 server is controlled via a web interface. A new m23 client can be installed easily in only three steps. Group functions and mass installation tools make managing a vast number of clients comfortable. The integration of existing clients (with .deb-based distributions) into the system is possible, too. Client backup and server backup are included to avoid data loss. With the integrated virtualisation software, m23 can create and manage virtual m23 clients, that run on real m23 clients or the m23 server. Scripts and software packages (for installation on clients) can be created directly from the m23 web interface.

The Orchestrator server is responsible for distribution and launch of simple apply/rollback shell scripts in a particular order across multiple servers . If for any reason deployment is failing at a particular stage the process will stop and you can rollback any changes done until then. In case you want to deploy your code or just call your preferred DSC client to apply the configuration locally the Orchestrator can be a handy tool. The operation can be started manually or scheduled, depending on your needs. In terms of audit and trace capabilities, the system is collecting all console output of your shell scripts from all servers and saves the logs centrally for review.