RE: [SisIYA-users] Debian packages

[<erd...@ex...>]

>Hi!



>great to hear that! I am rather busy so it will take some time. 

> Please be patient with me! ;-)



No worries.



> From what I have seen now I will create Debian packages roughly

> corresponding to the rpm packages you are already providing:

> libedbc, libedbc-dev, libedbc-doc (naming is "debianized" already)



> sisiya-server

> sisiya-server-checks

> sisiya-client

> sisiya-client-systems

> sisiya-webinterface (=>php)

> sisiya-dbsetup (=>dbscripts)



> My intention is to package those as independently as possible to 

> enable the user to run a sisiyad on one machine, the database on 

> another, the webinterface on a third and the server-checks on 

> a forth system.



This is correct. This is also the original intention.



> The Debian installer provides some mechanisms for configuration 

> of the packages (like a dialog system). I plan to make inensive 

> use of this to enable the user to do most of the configuration 

> through the Debian installer.



> The last package I will care for (because as I see it now it is the

> most difficult one) will be sisiya-client-systems, because I plan to 

> do a complete interactive setup through the installation of this 

> package. At a later point the user might rerun setup to update the 

> configuration with "dpkg-reconfigure".



Ok.



> As most of the configuration stuff consists of shell scripts I 

> have to write they can be reused for the rpm and source 

> installers as well. The only thing that cannot be easily ported 

> is the debian installer gui. Therefor I suggest -- only if you 

> like the idea of an installer, of course -- to rewrite the dialog

> based configuration part with the cli based dialog system.



Writing an installer could be a good idea, but we should not forget

the fact that the SisIYA installation could be spread on more than one server (DB, SisIYA server, server checks).



> Now for more details on what information the packages need 

> (I hope you can help me on this):



> libedbc*: nothing special needed; just a lib



edbc uses MySQL and PostgreSQL libraries. It does not have to be

compiled with both of them, but it is just practical to do so. Therefore it needs MySQL and PostgreSQL libs.





> sisiya-server: needs to know the port on which it is running 

> and needs to know db server, port, username and password.



Yes.



> sisiya-server-checks: needs to know sisiyad server and port.

Not realy, it needs the sisiya-client package installed and some

other programs like ftp snmp etc. For more information have look in the sisiya_server_checks.conf file.



> sisiya-client: needs to know sisiyad server and port; will require

> sisiya-client-systems.

The sisiya-client package does not require the sisiya-client-systems

package, unless there is a need. But, in practice one needs this package in order to configure the server and add some special checks,

which is done by linking scripts from the special directory which is part of the sisiya-client package.



> sisiya-client-system: will run setup for client checks



> sisiya-webinterface: will need to know db server, port and user/pass.



> sisiya-dbsetup: will need to know db server, port and admin/pw. 

> On upgrades this script will be responsible for modifying the

> database if required.



This is needed only for initialization of the SisIYA DB. After that

the web interface is used.



> There are still some things I do not understand -- mostly because I

> not completely try them out. How is security handled? Is there some > thind of authentication? Is it possible to use SSL? If not, can 

> one use stunnel?



At the moment there is no athentication support in SisIYA. Stunnel

cann be always used. I thought of using SSL and some form of authentication, but I didn't really need it. If there will be

a real need I would consider integrating SSL into SisIYA.



> I'd like to add some notes on this to the Debian packages 

> (and to your docs of course).



> So... please, tell me what you think! You probably already have 

> some ideas and/or expectations on how the installer should/could 

> work... I'd really apprechiate any suggestions on this!



No not really. I have never thought of using an installer. What

the installer should do is use the existing configuration files.

I am using an automated process of installing and updating SisIYA

packages, that is actually the reason why I have never needed an 

installer. What I do is create a custom SisIYA package set for

the company. The server usually installed only once or is updated rarely. I often update sisiya-client and sisiya-client-systems

packages, which I do by automation scripts 

(http://www.linuxfocus.org/English/January2003/article278.shtml)



> Ah, and I think it will take me weeks to complete this! :-( I have a

> constant lack of time... so please bear with me and be patient! ;-)



No worries.



> -- Adi



Do you use SisIYA?





Best regards.

Erdal Mutlu

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