Re: KISS

[Aaron Van Couwenberghe <vanco@sonic.net>]

On Thu, Dec 31, 1998 at 09:50:26AM +1100, Chris Leishman wrote:
> 
> 	1.  A utility to query the database (returns an answer if it is available
> 	    or nothing.
> 	2.  A utility to add a entry into the database (ie. mailname=debian.org)
> 	3.  A utility to modify an entry into the database.
> 

I'll be short here; I'm not feeling massichistic today....

Anyway, that is something very similar to what I proposed in my humongous
post a while back. But simpler. I like it.

The finished product can be either in the form of dpkg pulling config info
from a central database, or one authenticated machine being able to
manipulate another's installation from across the network.

The former would be the most conventional method, and possiblly the easiest
to implement; not because it requires the least amount of work, but because
it uses methods many programmers are acquainted with. This would be carried
out via Chris' proposal.

The latter requires use of developing technologies like CORBA. encapsulating
all of dpkg's functionality on one machine into a CORBA object (after making
those methods available by migrating them to their own library) would allow
dpkg to even do things such as installing a package on all machines
configured, removing a set of packages from any machine, or even pushing
dselect's profile to every configured machine and running apt-get
dselect-upgrade on every machine.
	Again, this requires a correct implementation of the CORBA security
service, which is, sadly, quite vague at this point.

Putting ORBit and liborbit into the base system would not take much space.
However, putting a database implementation (required only by the master
configuration server) such as mysql and the appropriate access libraries
into base would be heavy. Doesn't matter as much now though, since floppy
install is becoming outmoded.

BTW -- I like the idea of noninteractive config pulling all variables from
the database in any situation -- makes things easier. Perhaps there would be
a way to provide postinst scripts with access to requested environment
variables....

-- 
..Aaron Van Couwenberghe... ..vanco@sonic.net.. ..aaronv@debian.org....
	Berlin:			http://www.berlin-consortium.org
	Debian GNU/Linux:	http://www.debian.org
----
Nullum magnum ingenium sine mixtura dementiae fuit.
        [There is no great genius without some touch of madness.]
                -- Seneca