Re: [RFR] templates://hesiod/{libhesiod0.templates}

[Justin B Rye <jbr@edlug.org.uk>]

Christian Perrier wrote:
> Your review should be sent as an answer to this mail.

I'm not going to include a patch yet because I'm mostly arguing with
the content, so I thought I'd better check I understand it first.

> + Hesiod looks up keys using the standard Domain Name System. Please enter the
> + rightmost part of the domain name to do searches in. This name should
> + begin with a '.' character.
[...] 
> s/right-hand side/rightmost part: I feel this more correct but native
> speakers may correct me....

Two different things.  "The rightmost part" would be the top-level
domain.  "The right-hand side" implies that there are distinct
halves, left and right; the terms LHS and RHS seem to be standard in
the Hesiod docs, but what they're used for is a bit odd.  If I've
understood it correctly we could say something like:

   Please enter the Hesiod RHS to do searches in.
   .
   If the Hesiod server is 'ns.example.org' then the LHS will be '.ns', the
   RHS will be '.example.org' (note leading periods) and directory lookups
   will be performed as DNS requests to (e.g.) 'sam.passwd.ns.example.org'.

And then just repeat the same explanation for the LHS template:

   Please enter the Hesiod LHS to do searches in.
   .
   If the Hesiod server is 'ns.example.org' then the LHS will be '.ns', the
   RHS will be '.example.org' (note leading periods) and directory lookups
   will be performed as DNS requests to (e.g.) 'sam.passwd.ns.example.org'.

(The answers *have* to begin with a stop?  If it already knows that,
why do I need to type that bit in?  Mutter, grumble.)

> -Description: Utilities for Project Athena's service name resolution protocol
> +Description: Project Athena's service name resolution protocol - utilities

Why do they call it a "service name resolution protocol"?  I mean,
you don't use it to find out what service name port 23 resolves to,
do you?  Hesiod isn't a protocol for handling "service names", it's
a "name service", in the "Name Service Switch" sense, and one that
relies on existing (DNS) name server protocols. 

Or to put it another way, it's an alternative to NIS or LDAP that
happens to store its data in TXT records.  So I'd propose changing
it to:

   Description: Project Athena's DNS-based directory service - utilities

But I'll delay producing a patch until somebody's sanitychecked my
complaint.
-- 
JBR
Ankh kak! (Ancient Egyptian blessing)