Tech Preview Release

Mark your calendars for September 29th, 2023, as JetPorch gears up for its inaugural Tech Preview release. To commemorate this significant event, a virtual text-based release party will take place on Discord, starting at 11:30 AM EST and continuing throughout the day.

Key Features of JetPorch

• Language Clarity: JetPorch is designed with an emphasis on clear and consistent language, facilitating an easy-to-understand syntax.
• Multithreaded Efficiency: Leveraging Rust's capabilities, JetPorch achieves remarkable multithreaded performance.
• Security and Compliance: The platform is built with enterprise-grade security to ensure efficient and secure IT operations.
• Comprehensive Documentation: JetPorch provides user-friendly documentation to empower users to fully utilize its features.
• Extensibility: While the core modules are implemented in Rust, users can develop modules using any language that supports JSON.
• Familiar Core Language: The core language mirrors that of Ansible, utilizing a YAML dialect similar to Ansible’s playbook syntax, promoting an easy transition for existing users.
• Template Engine: Jet employs Handlebars for templating, maintaining familiarity in templating tasks.
• Predictable Variable Handling: Variable management is streamlined for greater predictability and consistency.
• Commitment to Stability: JetPorch ensures language stability to minimize disruptions during updates, treating documentation as a specification to prevent breaking changes.

As JetPorch approaches its first release, it promises to be a powerful, user-friendly solution for IT automation, setting a new benchmark for efficiency and reliability. Join the JetPorch community and prepare for an exciting journey into the future of IT automation.

Tech Release One

GitHub will unveil the code release on Friday, September 29th, at 11:30 AM EST, in conjunction with the Discord Release Party. Michael DeHaan (also known as LaserLama) will be active on Discord throughout the day until at least 9 PM EST to accommodate participants from around the globe. It’s a text-only release event in Discord for the entire day! For those new to Discord, further details can be found on the documentation website.

Getting Started with JetPorch

JetPorch is fundamentally a community-driven initiative. The primary communication channels include the official website, Discord chat, and Substack. The documentation site is straightforward and encourages users to ask questions about Jet as they navigate the materials.

This project is inclusive, welcoming participants from all time zones. Thanks to asynchronous chat capabilities, questions can be posed at any time. JetPorch embodies an international ethos, ensuring that time zones do not hinder collaboration.

Exploring JetPorch

Begin your journey with JetPorch by crafting simple playbooks that involve services, packages, and files. The syntax closely aligns with Ansible's YAML playbook language. Test it locally, explore SSH options, and utilize inventory plugins for cloud setups. JetPorch's standout features include rapid Rust threading for parallel SSH operations and efficient handling of extensive inventories. It’s recommended to start small with basic playbooks to evaluate JetPorch’s potential.

Some suggestions for getting started:

• Experiment with local code and then transition to SSH.
• Try using an inventory plugin for your cloud environment.
• If you have access to a test lab, gauge JetPorch’s multithreading performance and share your feedback.

An example of a simple playbook could look like this:

# playbook.yml

• name: Hello world

  groups:

  • groupA

  tasks:

  • !shell:

    cmd: echo hi

Legal Notes

Ansible® is a registered trademark of Red Hat and is licensed under GPLv3 as an open-source application. JetPorch operates independently and is not a direct replacement for any existing system; it is an unaffiliated community project, also licensed under GPLv3. JetPorch comes without any warranty, either expressed or implied, and usage is at the user's own discretion.

Future Expectations

All features for Tech Preview One are outlined throughout the documentation and summarized on the status page. The team will focus on refining modules based on user feedback during this initial release, while also expanding features as indicated on the status page. Upcoming features for Tech Preview 2, including SSH Fanout capabilities and the option to write modules in any programming language (JSON external modules), are expected to be highly significant. A third release is anticipated by December or early January, showcasing planetary-scale deployment features.

Contributions

Contributions can begin immediately on Friday; however, individuals are encouraged to read the contribution guidelines on the documentation site before submitting a GitHub pull request. The goal is to foster discussions and develop ideas collaboratively before diving into code. This approach minimizes redundant efforts and helps avoid requests for changes after contributors have invested considerable time and effort. The team aims to facilitate quick merges and ensure contributors feel valued for their hard work.

Additional Resources