Date: Tue, 09 Jan 2001 02:14:40 -0800 From: Doug Barton <DougB@gorean.org> To: Gerhard Sittig <Gerhard.Sittig@gmx.net> Cc: freebsd-hackers@FreeBSD.org Subject: Re: how to test out cron.c changes? (was: cvs commit: src/etc crontab) Message-ID: <3A5AE490.D251F590@gorean.org> References: <200011191816.KAA81473@freefall.freebsd.org> <20001119214008.Z27042@speedy.gsinet> <20001120143658.B4415@netmode.ece.ntua.gr> <20001120193326.C27042@speedy.gsinet> <20001205225656.Z27042@speedy.gsinet> <20001220211548.T253@speedy.gsinet> <3A513799.75EAB470@FreeBSD.org> <20010102133239.V253@speedy.gsinet> <20010107170840.G253@speedy.gsinet>
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Gerhard Sittig wrote: > > [ citing from Doug's message in the "OT: silence ..." subthread > to keep the technical discussion in the "how to test" subthread ] > > On Tue, Jan 05, 2001 at 14:45 -0800, Doug Barton wrote: > > > > You stated in another post that you wished I had elaborated > > more. I was in a hurry when I wrote that post, so here are more > > details. While this is, as you say, "an eternal problem," it is > > not a problem entirely without remedy. The proper solution is > > simply to avoid scheduling mission/time critical events during > > the DST change period for your time zone. Without improperly > > revealing sources, I can say that I did a lot of research on > > this topic in a past life, and it is by no means clear that > > your proposed solution is the best one. > > Well, the "don't schedule jobs for these times" is the problem > here: The fact that all FreeBSD users are potentially struck is > caused by the jobs execution time to be delivered with the > distribution. It's not a wanton act of some administrators to > schedule their jobs this way, but it's the status after > installing FreeBSD on a machine. Plus the fact that this machine > (by chance? but it's an increasing chance as has been stated in > an other message) is located in a region with DST changes. You're blowing the significance of this part of your argument WAY out of proportion. After long discussion we've picked times for the periodic jobs that are the best overall choices, and you make my followup point for me below. > Of course everybody knows there's a need to check, correct and > add quite a few things an installer is not capable to handle in > all the variety of arrangements humans come up with. And some > things aren't just the job of an installer. But how many of us > are aware of checking scheduled jobs' timings and how they could > collide in the near future (in the next year after setting up the > machine) or in the general future (when you somehow "forgot" the > machine because it just works flawlessly)? The people to whom this is important already know how to check it, and set it accordingly. This is the last thing a novice admin needs to worry about. > It's not that I want to talk you into something you don't want. But that's exactly what you're trying to do. I will not bother to re-re-restate my points as to why what you're proposing is a bad idea. Do all the testing you want, but make sure you understand that there will be vigorous resistance to incorporating your proposed changes. Doug To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org with "unsubscribe freebsd-hackers" in the body of the message
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