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Date:      Fri, 6 Jun 2003 10:59:54 -0700
From:      Sean Chittenden <seanc@FreeBSD.org>
To:        freebsd-arch@freebsd.org
Subject:   Re: Way forward with BIND 8
Message-ID:  <20030606175954.GQ65470@perrin.int.nxad.com>
In-Reply-To: <20030605235254.W5414@znfgre.qbhto.arg>
References:  <20030605235254.W5414@znfgre.qbhto.arg>

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> As most of you are probably already aware, there have been two
> recent releases of BIND 8. Version 8.3.5 is the "bugfix, and new
> minor features" release on the 8.3.x branch that we've currently got
> in the tree already.  8.4.0 is (more or less) the "all the bug fixes
> from 8.3.5, plus support for IPv6 transport" version.
>=20
> Because there are over 14k lines of diff between the source for 8.3.5 and
> 8.4.0, I'm hesitant to import the latter right away. Instead, as the
> nominal BIND maintainer, I'm proposing the following plan:

Ummm...  I hate to beg the question, but why have a nameserver in the
default installation?  All we need is the client resolver libraries
and basic CLI programs.  Using DHCP or HTTP as examples: we don't need
dhcpd in the base, just dhclient, and with HTTP, we don't need apache
in our base, but we do have/need fetch.  The only reason I can think
of that that would justify us having the nameserver in our base was if
our /etc/resolv.conf shipped with 127.0.0.1 as the default
nameserver... which it doesn't (there is no default resolv.conf, it's
generated based off of user input!).

If someone is running a dns cache or a dns server, then let them
install from the ports and let us be done with our support nightmare
of updating nameserver code or dictating policy for what nameserver
our users should use by default.  Updating server software via the
ports is going to happen much more routinely for system administrators
than software that is in the base.  Removing the nameservers from our
base also alleviates the project from future bikesheds regarding what
to do when bind10 comes out midway through a major FreeBSD release or
bind 9.43 fixes a bug, but isn't backwards compatible in some way
(config file perhaps).  This gives people a chance to install what
they want and _maintain_ what they want, when they want ala the ports.

Kill off most of the bind server bits and hold onto the client
programs/libs in -CURRENT.  Let 8.3/8.4 run its course in -STABLE, and
urge people to use the ports if they're interested in newer DNS
software.  Having sysinstall install a bind[\d] package as an install
option would likely result in more current bind installations than
FreeBSD currently offers as most people stick with the defaults in the
base system.  Let's liberate our user base from using or feeling
obligated to use out dated software by giving them a choice.

-sc


PS It'd probably be wise of us to create a new ports major category
called "dns" that why all options are easily identified.

--=20
Sean Chittenden

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