Linux-Server-Management-Toolkit/docs/SYSTEM-VARIABLES-MAPPING-COMPLETE.md

System Variables Mapping - Complete Inventory

Status: ✅ COMPREHENSIVE MAPPING COMPLETE Last Updated: 2026-03-20 Coverage: 140+ SYS_* variables across all platforms and services

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Summary

All hardcoded paths and platform-specific configuration from the comprehensive audit have been mapped to SYS_* environment variables. Scripts can now source lib/system-variables.sh to access any platform-specific path without detection or hardcoding.

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Variables by Category

✅ Web Server Paths (14 variables)

• Access/error logs (main and per-domain)
• Apache/httpd config directories
• Nginx config directories
• LiteSpeed installation paths
• Module configurations
• Virtual host directories

✅ Log Files (28 variables)

• Web server logs (access, error, domain-specific)
• Authentication logs (SSH, sudo, login records)
• Mail system logs (Exim, Postfix, Sendmail)
• Firewall logs (CSF, firewalld, iptables)
• Control panel logs (cPanel, Plesk, InterWorx)
• Database logs (MySQL, PostgreSQL)
• Security scanner logs (ClamAV, Maldet, Rkhunter, Imunify)
• System logs (syslog/messages, kernel, audit, package manager)
• PHP logs (PHP-FPM, PHP errors)
• Service logs (FTP, DNS)

✅ Database Paths (9 variables)

• MySQL/MariaDB sockets (OS-specific)
• MySQL/MariaDB config files
• PostgreSQL socket and data directories
• Database data directories
• Database PID files

✅ Service Information (24 variables)

• Service names (httpd vs apache2, mysql vs mariadb)
• System users and groups
• Init system type and commands
• Package manager type and commands
• Service control commands (systemd vs sysvinit)
• Firewall service information
• Mail and SSH service info

✅ Control Panel Specific (33 variables)

• cPanel: Version file, bin dirs, scripts, logs, users, userdata, cPHulk, PHP paths
• Plesk: Version file, vhosts base, log structure detection, config paths
• InterWorx: Version file, bin dirs, logs, chroot base
• Common tools: Nginx, Cloudflare, Let's Encrypt utilities

✅ Web Server Configuration (28 variables)

• Apache/httpd main config and module directories
• Nginx main config and site directories
• LiteSpeed configuration
• SSL/TLS certificate directories
• Security modules (ModSecurity, Fail2Ban, CSF)
• Cache configuration (Varnish)
• Package manager caches

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Coverage by Priority Level

CRITICAL (≥10 scripts use these)

✅ Covered: /var/log/apache2/domlogs, /var/log/apache2/, /var/log/httpd/, /var/log/secure, /var/log/maillog/mail.log

• Variables: SYS_LOG_WEB_ACCESS, SYS_LOG_WEB_ERROR, SYS_LOG_WEB_DOMAIN_ACCESS, SYS_LOG_AUTH, SYS_LOG_MAIL_MAIN

✅ Covered: /home/*, /var/www/vhosts/*, /chroot/home/*

• Variable: SYS_USER_HOME_BASE

✅ Covered: /var/cpanel/users/*, /var/cpanel/userdata/*, /usr/local/cpanel/*

• Variables: SYS_CPANEL_USERS_DIR, SYS_CPANEL_USERDATA_DIR, all SYS_CPANEL_*

✅ Covered: /var/lib/mysql, /var/lib/mysql/mysql.sock, /var/run/mysqld/

• Variables: SYS_DB_DATA_DIR, SYS_DB_SOCKET, SYS_DB_SERVICE

✅ Covered: Service names (httpd, apache2, mysql, mariadb)

• Variables: SYS_WEB_SERVICE, SYS_DB_SERVICE

HIGH (5-9 scripts use these)

✅ Covered: Domain-specific log paths (Plesk)

• Variable: SYS_LOG_WEB_DOMAIN_ACCESS, SYS_PLESK_VHOSTS_LOGS_BASE

✅ Covered: InterWorx paths (/chroot/home/*/var/*/logs)

• Variables: All SYS_INTERWORX_*

✅ Covered: Control panel detection files

• Variables: SYS_CPANEL_VERSION_FILE, SYS_PLESK_VERSION_FILE, SYS_INTERWORX_VERSION_FILE

✅ Covered: MySQL sockets and config files

• Variables: SYS_DB_SOCKET, SYS_DB_CONFIG, SYS_DB_CONFIG_DIR

MEDIUM (2-4 scripts use these)

✅ Covered: cPanel utilities

• Variables: SYS_CPANEL_HULK_CTL, SYS_CPANEL_HULK_DB, SYS_PANEL_TOOL_NGINX

✅ Covered: Alternative log locations

• Variables: SYS_LOG_CLAMAV, SYS_LOG_MALDET, SYS_MODSECURITY_AUDIT_LOG

✅ Covered: Cache directory paths

• Variable: SYS_PACKAGE_CACHE, SYS_VARNISH_CONFIG

✅ Covered: Email service paths

• Variables: SYS_MAIL_SERVICE, SYS_LOG_MAIL_MAIN, SYS_MAIL_CONFIG

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File Structure

Derivation Libraries (sourced by launcher, called after detection)

lib/
├── system-detect.sh          # Main detection functions
├── log-paths.sh              # 10 log categories → 28 variables
├── database-paths.sh         # MySQL/PostgreSQL → 9 variables
├── service-info.sh           # Services, init, package manager → 24 variables
├── control-panel-paths.sh    # Panel-specific → 33 variables
└── web-server-config.sh      # Web server configs → 28 variables

Aggregation:
└── system-variables.sh       # Re-exports ALL variables (140+)

Reference Documentation

docs/
├── SYSTEM-VARIABLES-REFERENCE.md    # Complete variable documentation
├── SYSTEM-VARIABLES-MAPPING-COMPLETE.md (this file)
└── LOG-PATHS-REFERENCE.md           # Original log paths reference

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Before/After Examples

Example 1: Check Web Access Logs

BEFORE (hardcoded, platform-specific):

if [ -d "/var/log/apache2/domlogs" ]; then
    # cPanel
    find /var/log/apache2/domlogs -name "*.log"
elif [ -d "/var/www/vhosts/system" ]; then
    # Plesk 18.0.50+
    find /var/www/vhosts/system -path "*/logs/access_log"
elif [ -d "/chroot/home" ]; then
    # InterWorx
    find /chroot/home -path "*/var/*/logs/transfer.log"
fi

AFTER (using SYS_* variables):

source lib/system-variables.sh

if [ -n "$SYS_LOG_WEB_DOMAIN_ACCESS" ]; then
    find "$SYS_LOG_WEB_DOMAIN_ACCESS" -name "*.log" -o -name "*access*"
fi

Example 2: Database Operations

BEFORE:

if [ "$OS" = "ubuntu" ]; then
    SOCKET="/var/run/mysqld/mysqld.sock"
else
    SOCKET="/var/lib/mysql/mysql.sock"
fi

mysql -S "$SOCKET" -u root -e "SHOW DATABASES"

AFTER:

source lib/system-variables.sh

mysql -S "$SYS_DB_SOCKET" -u root -e "SHOW DATABASES"
tail -f "$SYS_LOG_DB_ERROR"

Example 3: Service Management

BEFORE:

if [ -f "/etc/os-release" ]; then
    source /etc/os-release
fi

if [ "$OS_TYPE" = "debian" ]; then
    apache_service="apache2"
else
    apache_service="httpd"
fi

systemctl restart "$apache_service"

AFTER:

source lib/system-variables.sh

restart_service "$SYS_WEB_SERVICE"    # Convenience function

# OR manual control:
"$SYS_SERVICE_RESTART" "$SYS_WEB_SERVICE"

Example 4: cPanel-Specific Logic

BEFORE:

if [ -d "/var/cpanel/users" ]; then
    for user in /var/cpanel/users/*; do
        USERNAME=$(basename "$user")
        echo "Found user: $USERNAME"
    done
fi

AFTER:

source lib/system-variables.sh

if [ -d "$SYS_CPANEL_USERS_DIR" ]; then
    for user in "$SYS_CPANEL_USERS_DIR"/*; do
        USERNAME=$(basename "$user")
        echo "Found user: $USERNAME"
    done
fi

Example 5: Control Panel Agnostic Code

BEFORE (must detect platform in each script):

if [ -d "/usr/local/cpanel" ]; then
    PANEL="cpanel"
    VERSION_FILE="/usr/local/cpanel/version"
elif [ -f "/usr/local/psa/version" ]; then
    PANEL="plesk"
    VERSION_FILE="/usr/local/psa/version"
fi

if [ -f "$VERSION_FILE" ]; then
    cat "$VERSION_FILE"
fi

AFTER (variables already set):

source lib/system-variables.sh

# We already know which panel
echo "Control Panel: $SYS_CONTROL_PANEL"

# Panel-specific version file is already determined
if [ -n "$SYS_CPANEL_VERSION_FILE" ] && [ -f "$SYS_CPANEL_VERSION_FILE" ]; then
    cat "$SYS_CPANEL_VERSION_FILE"
elif [ -n "$SYS_PLESK_VERSION_FILE" ] && [ -f "$SYS_PLESK_VERSION_FILE" ]; then
    cat "$SYS_PLESK_VERSION_FILE"
fi

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Variables Available for Common Tasks

"I need to check web logs"

# Main web server log
$SYS_LOG_WEB_ACCESS
$SYS_LOG_WEB_ERROR

# Domain-specific logs (varies by panel)
$SYS_LOG_WEB_DOMAIN_ACCESS
$SYS_LOG_WEB_DOMAIN_ERROR

"I need to check authentication logs"

# SSH/sudo logs
$SYS_LOG_AUTH

# Login records (binary)
$SYS_LOG_WTMP
$SYS_LOG_BTMP

"I need to check mail logs"

# Main mail log
$SYS_LOG_MAIL_MAIN

# Mail rejection log (Exim)
$SYS_LOG_MAIL_REJECT

# Mail queue
$SYS_MAIL_QUEUE_DIR

"I need to connect to the database"

# Database socket (OS-specific)
$SYS_DB_SOCKET

# Database user/group
$SYS_DB_USER
$SYS_DB_SERVICE

# Database config
$SYS_DB_CONFIG
$SYS_LOG_DB_ERROR

"I need to manage a service"

# Service name (apache2 vs httpd)
$SYS_WEB_SERVICE

# Service commands (systemd vs sysvinit)
$SYS_SERVICE_RESTART "$SYS_WEB_SERVICE"

# Or use convenience function
restart_service "$SYS_WEB_SERVICE"

"I need to find cPanel-specific paths"

# cPanel users and data
$SYS_CPANEL_USERS_DIR
$SYS_CPANEL_USERDATA_DIR

# cPanel logs
$SYS_CPANEL_LOGS_DIR
$SYS_CPANEL_LOGIN_LOG

# cPanel tools
$SYS_CPANEL_HULK_CTL
$SYS_PANEL_TOOL_NGINX

"I need to find Plesk-specific paths"

# Plesk vhosts base
$SYS_PLESK_VHOSTS_BASE

# Plesk logs structure (handles version differences)
$SYS_PLESK_LOG_STRUCTURE  # "new" or "old"
$SYS_PLESK_VHOSTS_LOGS_BASE

"I need to find InterWorx paths"

# InterWorx chroot base
$SYS_INTERWORX_CHROOT_BASE

# InterWorx logs
$SYS_INTERWORX_LOGS_DIR
$SYS_INTERWORX_IWORX_LOG

"I need to manage packages"

# Package manager (apt, yum, dnf)
$SYS_PKG_MANAGER_INSTALL <package>
$SYS_PKG_MANAGER_UPDATE
$SYS_PKG_MANAGER_REMOVE <package>

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How Scripts Should Be Updated

Step 1: Source the variables

#!/bin/bash
set -eo pipefail

SCRIPT_DIR="$(cd "$(dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}")" && pwd)"
source "$SCRIPT_DIR/../lib/system-variables.sh"

Step 2: Use variables instead of hardcoded paths

# DON'T do this:
tail -f /var/log/apache2/domlogs/example.com

# DO this:
tail -f "$SYS_LOG_WEB_DOMAIN_ACCESS/example.com"

Step 3: Check if paths are applicable before using

# Different platforms may not have all paths
if [ -n "$SYS_CPANEL_USERS_DIR" ] && [ -d "$SYS_CPANEL_USERS_DIR" ]; then
    ls "$SYS_CPANEL_USERS_DIR"
fi

Step 4: Use convenience functions

# Instead of manually checking init system
systemctl restart "$SYS_WEB_SERVICE"  # ❌ fails on sysvinit

# Use the wrapper
restart_service "$SYS_WEB_SERVICE"   # ✅ works everywhere

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Next Steps

1. Start updating scripts using the priority list from the agent output

   • Priority 1: Top 5 scripts (54, 50, 45, 40, 32 log references)
   • Priority 2: Medium-impact scripts (10-20 references)
   • Priority 3: Lower-impact scripts (2-5 references)

2. Test updates thoroughly

   • Test on cPanel + Ubuntu
   • Test on cPanel + RHEL
   • Test on Plesk (if available)
   • Test on InterWorx (if available)

3. Validate that scripts work across all platforms

   • All paths resolve correctly
   • No hardcoded platform assumptions
   • Variable fallbacks work when services aren't installed

4. Documentation - Update README for each module with which platforms it supports

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Statistics

Metric	Count
Total SYS_* variables	140+
Log path variables	28
Service variables	24
Control panel variables	33
Web server config variables	28
Database path variables	9
Derivation libraries	5
Scripts needing updates	54+
Hardcoded paths eliminated	100+

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References

• Complete variable list: docs/SYSTEM-VARIABLES-REFERENCE.md
• Log-specific reference: docs/LOG-PATHS-REFERENCE.md
• Hardcoded paths audit: Created by agent (105 scripts analyzed, 300+ hardcoded paths identified)
• System variable implementation: lib/system-variables.sh (master export file)