I have checked through this distro thread this morning but I am not sure
what people are wanting to achieve with a freeVSD distro. Presently, the
mechanism for generating a skel is not very sophisticated. It is intended to
allow a first-time installer to generate a working skel with the minimum
download required. That is the only reason we constantly recommend using a
full RedHat server installation.
As you may have seen on the announce-list, we have gained the necessary
bandwidth allocation to start posting pre-built skels. To those who are not
bandwidth challenged (ISPs, the people freeVSD is developed for) these
should provide the preferred method of installation. Try it, it makes
installation a snap.
With pre-built skels available the need to have a full server installation
is removed, you can strip your host server installation as far as you would
like. Indeed, you should be able to use a pre-built skel on a hosting server
using whatever your preferred distro might be. I would be very keen to hear
from people who have some success with this.
The intention is to remove the need for everyone to reinvent a method of
getting MySQL/PHP etc into the skel. Just download a skel that includes
them. We are working to extend the applications presently offered (majordomo
and webalizer are coming soon) and intend to keep the skels we support
current with errata, bug/security fixes etc. (provided as .tar.gz patches -
not a repeat download).
The question I have for the list now is, what do you want to see in the
skels? Do people want RedHat based skels? What applications are required?
What configurations?
If people have produced their own skel which provides something unique or
fills a specific niche, let us know, and we can add it to the skels
collection.
We are also putting the finishing touches to a mechanism for adding
pre-built packages to an existing skel. As we are still very RedHat based at
present this is taking the form of a vsd-rpm. This is essentially the RedHat
rpm rebuilt to include a couple of vsd-specific files. One of these files is
a script to integrate the package into each individual virtual server.
For example, the vsd-rpm we are finishing at the moment is openldap. You can
use a new vsd-rpm command (just rpm --root really) to install the rpm into
an existing RH skel (files are not overwritten so virtual servers do not
need to be stopped). A new command vsd-linkvs then ripples through all
virtual servers establishing the necessary hard links to each virtual server
and copying the integration scripts. Now, comes the good bit. On reboot a
virtual server will check for any unexecuted integration script (from
rc.vsd) and run those which require execution. This completes the
installation of the package into the virtual server (changing the defaults
in ldap.conf to reflect the virtual servers name for example). And there you
go. As each virtual server is restarted the new application becomes
available, fully configured...
It is hoped this will provide a mechanism whereby a standard skel can be
made available to which people may add/remove additional applications as
they wish.
I think this provides a robust model for freeVSD to begin extending the
applications it provides. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated to let
us know if we are moving in the right direction...
Tim
> -----Original Message-----
> From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]On Behalf Of Dave Cost
> Sent: 06 April 2001 07:42
> To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> Subject: RE: PreBuilt Distro
>
>
> > > I just remembered the name it's http://www.rocklinux.org/
>
> > Hmm, might give it a look. However, it won't run on my
> systems, because I
> > compile everything from scratch, and only the programs I actually run.
>
> This is exactly what that distro is all about. You choose which packages,
> and it goes to the net, downloads their last versions and
> compiles.... with
> your intervention, of course.
>
>
> Dave
