CURRENT STATUS

engine-iso-uploader command-line interface is hard to use, there is no explicit method to select transport (ssh, nfs), there is implicit behaviour, such as if one specifies ssh user then ssh is used.

It is also hard to understand how it can be used with or without engine, and it is very hard to extend in coherent approach.

SUGGESTION

Alter the command-line interface to be similar to other network tools, by making it URL based.

Usage:

engine-iso-uploader [options] command source [source...] destination
    -c|--config file - read configuration from file.
    -o|--option option=value - set configuration option
    --engine - engine to use (rest api) URL notation.
    command
        list - list iso images
        upload - upload iso images
        download - download iso images
    source - URL of source.
    destination - URL of destination.

URL notation:
    protocol://user:password@host:port/path?arguments

Supported local destinations:
    file://path
    /path

Supported remote destinations:
    nfs://*ISO_DOMAIN - '*' marks host as iso domain, query location from server.
    nfs://host/path - bypass engine, put image directly at path.
    ssh://host/path - bypass engine, put image directly at path.

Configuration file
    netrc=<file> default:~/.netrc
    engine=<url>
    ssh-key=<file>

Password prompt
    If URL is missing password and password is not provided within netrc

BENEFITS

1. Using URL notation to provide locations obsoletes the need to specify protocol, host, port, user, password, path. It is standard notation known by target audience.

2. Using well formed command: utility command source... destination is commonly used for transfers.

3. Using standard netrc notation to provide host credentials is better than proprietary format.

4. Using options as name=value provides the ability to extend configuration without altering the command-line usage.