Unable to override vm.args in rebar generated release

I'm trying to override the configuration of a release made using Rebar. I'd like to automatically modify the vm.args file to use an -sname chat parameter to the VM, rather than the default -name chat@127.0.0.1.

If I understand it correctly, the subdirectory files contains versions of the configuration files that will be copied into a release directory when I use rebar create-node nodeid=chat. I am not forcing an overwrite, and I've modified the version in files with the values I want to use. It doesn't make it through to the release. Whenever I recreate the release, it overwrites the file ./etc/vm.args with default values. Am I using rebar incorrectly?

Here's what I've been doing (in a Makefile) to generate the release:

gen-rel:
    rm -rf ./rel/*
    rebar create-node nodeid=chat
    rebar generate

start:
    ./rel/chat/bin/chat start

stop:
    ./rel/chat/bin/chat stop

ping:
    ./rel/chat/bin/chat ping

rebuild: stop compile gen-rel start ping

PS: Is this how I'm supposed to be building and debugging using rebar? I have another node that I want to connect to this with, and I assumed that creating and running the release is the quickest and easiest way to get my re开发者_运维百科lease reachable...

The create-node rebar subcommand should only be run once, rather than every time before generate. If you remove create-node line from your gen-rel make target and edit the rel/files/vm.args files with your overrides then you should find the generated release will now contain your overrides.

Recap steps:

1. Remove rebar create-node nodeid=chat line from your make file (just run it once).
2. Update the rel/files/vm.args file with your override(s).
3. Run make rebuild.
4. Commit your rel/files override changes into your SCM/VCS repository before you lose them;)

HTH