Question: Is there any really outstanding reason why a suitably-
licensed database or fork thereof, e.g. PostgreSQL, couldn't be fully
integrated into the OpenBSD distribution? Alternately, is there any
reason why a small-scale SQLish database couldn't be implemented for
OpenBSD? (Ex: "Theo thinks this is dumb, therefore Satan will be
ice-skating across Hell before such a thing makes its way into the CVS
tree.")
I ask this because there a number of interesting things that could be
accomplished if there were even a minimal SQLish database readily
available in the system. This occurred to me in the course of working
on porting Bacula to OpenBSD: "Hey, wouldn't an Open{SSH,BGPD,NTPD,
CVS}-style integrated backup package suck a lot less?" Effective backup
software is an absolute requirement for any sort of production
environment. Files need to be backed up. The software out there for
this is not really great, to tell you the truth, and the options for
OpenBSD are even less great. Bacula seems to be okay - I have gotten
it to run - but it's more than a little messy inside, has some
non-intuitive bits, has too many knobs, doesn't have some necessary
features (migration being a big one), and is clearly a "security-
optional" software package. Not great, but the best thing going so
far.
A small, simple, effective, secure-by-default, (eventually) multi-
platform backup package done the OpenBSD way might be just what the
doctor ordered. There's plenty of backup software out there, from
big vendors (Veritas, TSM) and F/OSS authors (Bacula, Amanda) alike,
but all of it sucks to some extent. Why not something that doesn't
suck, that just works, that is just secure out-of-the-box?
Trouble is, such a thing compels the use of some form of database
for effective cataloging of stored files. OpenBSD doesn't have one
on-board as far as I can see, just db, which probably isn't gonna
cut it. That means that the choices boil down to a) write one from
scratch (erk!), or b) find one that is suitably licensed and import
it. There are some BSD-licensed DBs out there, but the best one
is PostgreSQL. Assuming that a database _was_ included, though,
there are some interesting side effects; there are plenty of software
packages out there that require the use of some kind of database, most
of which will work fine with PostgreSQL, so having an audited fork of
it in the source tree would make things a lot easier and more secure.
So, is the inclusion of a database into OpenBSD proper desirable?
What about the idea of a nice, simple integrated backup package?
(Which sort of requires the database, but suppose that they are
separate.) If not desirable, are these at least tolerable? If
either stands a chance of inclusion in OpenBSD, i.e. they are not
prima facie unacceptable to the design goals of the OpenBSD team,
what would the requirements for their inclusion be?
--
(c) 2005 Unscathed Haze via Central Plexus <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
I am Chaos. I am alive, and I tell you that you are Free. -Eris
Big Brother is watching you. Learn to become Invisible.
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