Date: Fri, 30 Jan 1998 01:20:52 +0000 From: Karl Pielorz <kpielorz@tdx.co.uk> To: hackers@FreeBSD.ORG Subject: FreeBSD updated Installation / Adminsitration Kit Message-ID: <34D12AF4.80043C1B@tdx.co.uk>
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Right, In conclusion then, we have the following: It has been decided that FreeBSD could do with a 'replacement' to sysinstall, preferably something graphical, and 'portable'. We have a choice of 3 alternatives, 1. We write something that will 'install' FreeBSD with emphasis on ease of use, size, and the fact it will run very nicely on FreeBSD and let people install it (I hate to use the words 'Like windows 95'). 2. We write something that will maintain FreeBSD - again with emphasis on ease of use, but including portability (i.e. we want to be able to run this from Windows, other Unix platforms, Alpha workstations, X-servers etc. This is more akin to the Admin tools for something like SCO OpenDesktop etc. - but done properly ;-) 3. We write something that tries to accomplish both the above, hopefully not causing too many compromises. For the actual program, we are faced with how to implement it. Currently we have considered: TCL / X Java HTML / cgi Dedicated Win32 Client I believe at present were aiming for something like the Windows NT Domain / Workstation manager, but something you can actually use (i.e. point it at your network, it shows you what FreeBSD remote adminable machines you have - and so long as you have passwords / access rights, away you go...) - This at least was certainly my goal. So the goals can be summarized as: 1. Design something expandable, and adaptable and maintainable (as always ;-) 2. Can be used to both install & maintain. 3. Must be runnable on the local machine, and / or remotely* 4. Must look good, feel good - and have nice features to help newbies etc. (after all were all newbies at some point ;-) * I don't think were going to get away with anything really small because of this point, the best scenario I can think of is single boot disk in the floppy drive, FreeBSD CD in the CDROM (or a network connection) - boot the disk, and lo and behold your in a VGA X-Server running a 'full-screen' Java / something app, with nice FreeBSD logo displayed either on the console, or on another machines Screen / Web browser / Admin client... (Gee, doesn't this sound like Windows NT? - but 'better' already? (try a 'remote' install of NT! <G>) The bad side effect of this - is were going to have to keep the text install stuff somewhere, or we'll end up having a 'system requirements' like Windows NT, i.e. 12Mb, VGA, mouse & 486 to install on - Though some of this is probably unavoidable (you can't get something for nothing)... The main areas of abstraction I can see after looking through things briefly are: 1. The client, abstracts itself from the actual unix commands somehow (i.e. the client doesn't actually issue things like 'adduser -batch ...' etc. - most popular theory so far is it uses MIB like structures etc. (see 2.) 2. The commands / administration is abstracted through the use of something similar to MIB's etc. (i.e. little modules that describe what fields the 'adduser v1.2' command needs, what they should contain) - through this we can hopefully keep the client up to date without too much trouble, and build a nice area with all the MIB's (for want of a better word) living in... The above 2 points mean that we should be able to carve things up a bit amongst ourselves... SO - Yet again, I'm asking: a) Who's up for this? b) How do we get organized? (Divide and conquer always seems to work for me <g>) Kp
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