Date: Tue, 30 Sep 1997 21:13:14 -0400 (EDT) From: Chuck Robey <chuckr@glue.umd.edu> To: Mike Smith <mike@smith.net.au> Cc: Peter Korsten <peter@grendel.IAEhv.nl>, chat@FreeBSD.ORG Subject: Re: Microsoft brainrot (was: r-cmds and DNS and /etc/host.conf) Message-ID: <Pine.BSF.3.96.970930210221.21190K-100000@Journey2.mat.net> In-Reply-To: <199710010004.JAA02444@word.smith.net.au>
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On Wed, 1 Oct 1997, Mike Smith wrote: > However, there is a not insubstantial text-mode-only group of users, > whose desire to be able to use such a tool is valid. In some cases, > these will be single-system users not running X, in others we may be > talking embedded systems, or hardware with remote consoles; there are > plenty of valid reasons for not having a graphical console available, > and this is no excuse for not having a management interface. > > Implementation resources are *LIMITED*. This means we can, at most, > afford to attempt to develop and maintain *ONE* interface and set of > tools. I've considered some of this. Mike's right on many points. > To make this viable, we need to hit as large a target group as > possible. If we build a monstrosity that needs client-side Java, local > PGP and (by the flavour of recent proposals) an administration guru > just to set up and maintain it, nobody will use it. The development > effort will be wasted. > > So, I'll say it again; what we need is an interface which abstracts the > content of the configuration information from its form. This will give > us a foundation which will make implementing CM frontends much easier. How about considering the security problems and interface thing separately? I keep on thinking that something like skip (the encrypted IP channel) would make the security problem go away, wouldn't it? Doing something based upon HTTP means that you'd get character mode and browser inerfaces for free, essentially. Is this also true? I want to see if these questions can be ansswered separately, Mike, so that the area of the problem can be cut down. If one of the above isn't true, I'll go back to it. You're right on keeping any answer small enough to be reasonably packageable. I think that doing it via java cuts out a character mode interface, and shouldn't be absolutely needed. I would think a good perl script, and a web server would do, wouldn't it? Is there any likelihood you see of being able to do the job without a web server? The only other possibility that I see is tcl/tk, which is very multiplatform now, and freely available. I don't see a character mode interface for it, tho. I agree it's a good thing to have, but I kinda wonder if the group that runs character mode doesn't intersect largely with the group of lo level hackers who will turn up their noses at any gui based system console anyhow. AM I right so far? I'm just trying to catch up with you. ----------------------------+----------------------------------------------- Chuck Robey | Interests include any kind of voice or data chuckr@eng.umd.edu | communications topic, C programming, and Unix. 213 Lakeside Drive Apt T-1 | Greenbelt, MD 20770 | I run Journey2 and picnic, both FreeBSD (301) 220-2114 | version 3.0 current -- and great FUN! ----------------------------+-----------------------------------------------
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