gistfile1.txt

Some helpful tips/how-to related to maintaining
your code in the Aegir environment follows below:

Aegir doesn't help in maintaing modules install/upgrades,
but it allows to migrate sites between platforms,
so you have to create a new platform with new modules
versions and then migrate the site.

It is always recommended to clone the site in the
existing platform and test migration of the cloned
site first, before trying it with live site.

The more advanced best practice is outlined below.
It explains how it is recommended to manage your
code so you can easily create newer platforms
for your sites.

Aegir "forces" some good practices, but not to make
your work fancy in the "Aegir style", rather to make
it secure, effective and re-usable (modular).

It forces some secure permissions etc to save you
headaches later, when you will try to really use
the full Aegir power to migrate, clone, batch upgrade
many sites etc.

In this case, the proper way to manage the site code
is to use makefiles (and then drush make) to build
your platform, apply patches to contrib or custom modules
etc, then using profiler module to create your custom
install profile and manage in your repo just your
makefiles, your install profiles and only your custom
modules - *in a separate repo per module and per theme*.

Working this way you will be able to easily re-use
your work, to create new platforms, avoid duplication
etc.

We recommend some good how-to to learn more on how
it works in Aegir and why this kind of workflow
can make your work much much easier:

http://community.aegirproject.org/node/47

http://developmentseed.org/blog/2010/sep/11/aegir-04-alpha-13-drush-make-support-allows-automatically-building-drupal-distribut