diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index df0df917a4..ee7f0e7809 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -77,30 +77,21 @@ here, so run it in a VM. And take advantage of the snapshot capabilities
of your hypervisor of choice to reduce testing cycle times. You might even save
enough time to write one more feature before the next feature freeze...
-``stack.sh`` needs to have root access for a lot of tasks, but uses ``sudo``
-for all of those tasks. However, it needs to be not-root for most of its
-work and for all of the OpenStack services. ``stack.sh`` specifically
-does not run if started as root.
+``stack.sh`` needs to have root access for a lot of tasks, but uses
+``sudo`` for all of those tasks. However, it needs to be not-root for
+most of its work and for all of the OpenStack services. ``stack.sh``
+specifically does not run if started as root.
-This is a recent change (Oct 2013) from the previous behaviour of
-automatically creating a ``stack`` user. Automatically creating
-user accounts is not the right response to running as root, so
-that bit is now an explicit step using ``tools/create-stack-user.sh``.
-Run that (as root!) or just check it out to see what DevStack's
-expectations are for the account it runs under. Many people simply
-use their usual login (the default 'ubuntu' login on a UEC image
-for example).
+DevStack will not automatically create the user, but provides a helper
+script in ``tools/create-stack-user.sh``. Run that (as root!) or just
+check it out to see what DevStack's expectations are for the account
+it runs under. Many people simply use their usual login (the default
+'ubuntu' login on a UEC image for example).
# Customizing
-You can override environment variables used in `stack.sh` by creating
-file name `local.conf` with a ``localrc`` section as shown below. It
-is likely that you will need to do this to tweak several settings for
-your environment.
-
- [[local|localrc]]
- VARIABLE=value
-
-Start by reading the [configuration
-guide](doc/source/configuration.rst) for details of the many available
-options.
\ No newline at end of file
+DevStack can be extensively configured via the configuration file
+`local.conf`. It is likely that you will need to provide and modify
+this file if you want anything other than the most basic setup. Start
+by reading the [configuration guide](doc/source/configuration.rst) for
+details of the configuration file and the many available options.
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/doc/source/configuration.rst b/doc/source/configuration.rst
index ed17924d45..fe23d6cb34 100644
--- a/doc/source/configuration.rst
+++ b/doc/source/configuration.rst
@@ -6,34 +6,15 @@ Configuration
:local:
:depth: 1
-DevStack has always tried to be mostly-functional with a minimal amount
-of configuration. The number of options has ballooned as projects add
-features, new projects added and more combinations need to be tested.
-Historically DevStack obtained all local configuration and
-customizations from a ``localrc`` file. The number of configuration
-variables that are simply passed-through to the individual project
-configuration files is also increasing. The old mechanism for this
-(``EXTRAS_OPTS`` and friends) required specific code for each file and
-did not scale well.
-
-In Oct 2013 a new configuration method was introduced (in `review
-46768 `__) to hopefully
-simplify this process and meet the following goals:
-
-- contain all non-default local configuration in a single file
-- be backward-compatible with ``localrc`` to smooth the transition
- process
-- allow settings in arbitrary configuration files to be changed
-
local.conf
==========
-The new configuration file is ``local.conf`` and should reside in the
-root Devstack directory. An example of such ``local.conf`` file
-is provided in the ``devstack/samples`` directory. Copy this file into
-the root Devstack directory and adapt it to your needs. It is a modified INI
-format file that introduces a meta-section header to carry additional
-information regarding the configuration files to be changed.
+DevStack configuration is modified via the file ``local.conf``. It is
+a modified INI format file that introduces a meta-section header to
+carry additional information regarding the configuration files to be
+changed.
+
+A sample is provided in ``devstack/samples``
The new header is similar to a normal INI section header but with double
brackets (``[[ ... ]]``) and two internal fields separated by a pipe
@@ -148,33 +129,14 @@ will not be set if there is no IPv6 address on the default Ethernet interface.
Setting it here also makes it available for ``openrc`` to set ``OS_AUTH_URL``.
``HOST_IPV6`` is not set by default.
-Examples
-========
-
-- Eliminate a Cinder pass-through (``CINDER_PERIODIC_INTERVAL``):
-
- ::
-
- [[post-config|$CINDER_CONF]]
- [DEFAULT]
- periodic_interval = 60
-
-- Sample ``local.conf`` with screen logging enabled:
-
- ::
-
- [[local|localrc]]
- FIXED_RANGE=10.254.1.0/24
- NETWORK_GATEWAY=10.254.1.1
- LOGDAYS=1
- LOGDIR=$DEST/logs
- LOGFILE=$LOGDIR/stack.sh.log
- ADMIN_PASSWORD=quiet
- DATABASE_PASSWORD=$ADMIN_PASSWORD
- RABBIT_PASSWORD=$ADMIN_PASSWORD
- SERVICE_PASSWORD=$ADMIN_PASSWORD
- SERVICE_TOKEN=a682f596-76f3-11e3-b3b2-e716f9080d50
+Historical Notes
+================
+Historically DevStack obtained all local configuration and
+customizations from a ``localrc`` file. In Oct 2013 the
+``local.conf`` configuration method was introduced (in `review 46768
+`__) to simplify this
+process.
Configuration Notes
===================
@@ -257,6 +219,20 @@ to direct the message stream to the log host. |
SYSLOG_PORT=516
+Example Logging Configuration
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+
+For example, non-interactive installs probably wish to save output to
+a file, keep service logs and disable color in the stored files.
+
+ ::
+
+ [[local|localrc]]
+ DEST=/opt/stack/
+ LOGDIR=$DEST/logs
+ LOGFILE=$LOGDIR/stack.sh.log
+ LOG_COLOR=False
+
Database Backend
----------------