Copy your database.yml file to /home/example/rails/example.org/shared/config/database.yml and it'll get symlinked into place before the app is restarted.
This works with my SMF manifest here
set :application, "example.org" set :smf, "mongrel/example" set :repository, "https://example.textdriven.com/svn/#{application}" set :deploy_to, "/home/example/rails/#{application}" role :web, "#{application}", :primary => true role :app, "#{application}", :primary => true role :db, "#{application}", :primary => true set :checkout, "export" set :svn, "/opt/csw/bin/svn" set :sudo, "/opt/csw/bin/sudo" set :rake, "/opt/csw/bin/rake" task :after_update_code do run "ln -s #{deploy_to}/#{shared_dir}/config/database.yml #{current_release}/config/database.yml" run "rm -f #{current_path}" end task :spinner, :roles => :app do send(run_method, "/usr/sbin/svcadm start #{smf}") end task :restart, :roles => :app do send(run_method, "/usr/sbin/svcadm restart #{smf}") end