TurnKey Linux's take on Ubuntu appliance development: KISS

[Scott Kitterman]

On Wed, 23 Dec 2009 12:42:35 +0200 Liraz Siri <liraz at turnkeylinux.org> 
wrote:
>Scott Kitterman wrote:
>
>> The bit of Debian policy that keeps getting quoted about packages not 
>> modifying conffiles of other packages is incomplete.  It goes on to say 
... 
>> except through defined interfaces.  There is nothing in Debian Policy 
that 
>> prevents packages from being used for integration work.  It insists on 
>> properly engineered work.
>
>I'm all for seeing more properly engineered configuration infrastructure
>in Debian and Ubuntu. When it becomes available we'll be the first to
>use it.


That's good.  It is a general problem that needs some work on a solution.

>> Since all policy requires is a defined interface, I feel those who say 
they 
>> are unduly constrained by policy are promoting the idea  that 
independent 
>> software components can be integrated without defined interfaces and the 
>> software engineer in me shudders.
>
>There is always room for improvement but keep in mind that since a
>universal configuration interface does not yet exist, all Debian based
>servers are currently being integrated by hand at an inconsistent level
>of quality and with no reproducibility or peer review.
>
>Unless you are using an appliance.
>
>Remember that you don't have to be perfect to be useful, just better
>than the alternative.
>
I don't find this unreasonable.  FAI, puppet, and others work in this space 
too.  It just takes added care not to break stuff.

Scott K