ioc cli parameters are very inconsistent

[igalic]

for reasons of backwards compatibility, we've made ioc's command line interface as inconsistent as its predecessors'.

currently we have three formats, which mostly differ where the <jail>, that is being operated on is placed, and how it's passed.

1. via the --name option:

   ioc create --name <jail>

2. as first (and only parameter)

   ioc start <jail>

3. as first parameter of infinitely many:

   ioc exec <jail> cat /etc/passwd

4. as last parameter of infinitely many:

   ioc set ip4_addr='vtnet0|172.16.0.9/12' template=no <jail>

i propose standardizing on one format. if we want to provide backwards compatibility, we should do this shims that our users can install themselves in place of the iocace_legacy (/usr/local/sbin/iocage) or iocage (/usr/local/bin/iocage) binaries.

[igalic]

i just realized this is a resurrection of #202. and honestly, i think it's very necessary.

[gronke]

if we want to provide backwards compatibility, we should do this shims that our users can install themselves in place of the iocace_legacy

Great idea, that would allow us to be more strict/consequent with the CLI command logic. For example

1. ioc create <jail> or ioc create -b <jail> [<jail_options>]
2. ioc set <jail> <jail_options>

We should offload the discussion to the Wiki and see where we hit issues.

[igalic]

i was thinking about the documentation, especially in the context of copy on the iocage website, which uses the word cage on the front-page.

if we start from the definition of a cage is a zfs backed jail, then we should be constantly talking of cage not jail within (lib)iocage.

[igalic]

Before we move this issue any further, I'd like to discuss

Defining a CLI Language

to do that, i'd first like to document the commands we have right now, and group them by the Object they work on:

Command	Description
activate	Set a zpool active for iocage usage.
clone	Clone and promote jails.
console	Login to a jail.
create	Create a jail.
deactivate	Disable a ZFS pool for libioc.
destroy	Destroy specified resource
exec	Run the given command inside the specified...
export	Export a jail to a backup archive
fetch	Fetch and update a Release to create Jails...
fstab	View and manipulate a jails fstab file.
get	Gets the specified property.
import	Import a jail from a backup archive
list	List a specified dataset type, by default...
migrate	Migrate jails to the latest format.
pkg	Manage packages in a jail.
promote	Clone and promote jails.
provision	Trigger provisioning of jails.
rename	Rename a stopped jail.
restart	Restarts the specified jails.
set	Sets the specified property.
snapshot	Take and manage resource snapshots.
start	Starts the specified jails or ALL.
stop	Stops the specified jails or ALL.
update	Update a jail to a new release or patchlevel.

By Object

The first obvious "object" i can identify is the one that uses the commands start, stop, restart, exec and console — none of those commands work without a "live" jail.

but after that, it gets kinda hazy (for me)