File Server Tasks

[Neal McBurnett]

On Tue, Aug 28, 2007 at 03:35:39PM -0400, Rick Clark wrote:
> On Tuesday 28 August 2007 14:51:49 Mathias Gug wrote:
> > Hi Jamie,
> >
> > On Tue, Aug 28, 2007 at 02:20:28PM -0400, Jamie Strandboge wrote:
> > > Samba (Windows file sharing) -- task
> > >   installs samba and samba-default-shares
> > >
> > > NFS (Unix file sharing) -- task
> > >   installs nfs-kernel-server and nfs-default-exports
> > >
> > > Samba + NFS (Windows and Unix file sharing) -- task
> > >   installs samba and samba-default-shares
> > >   installs nfs-kernel-server and nfs-default-exports
> >
> > I think that three tasks is too much. I'd see only one task, named 'file
> > server', that would install both nfs and samba. I model this on the NAS
> > appliances you can find in the market: their features are that they can
> > serve both windows and unix clients and integrate well in your existing
> > network.
> I think it would be a mistake to install any services that are not 
> specifically needed.  I think it raises the risk profile of the system 
> unnecessarily.  I don't think we are trying to compete with NAS appliances. 
> I personally see samba and nfs as separate  tasks.  I think samba is more 
> important, because it is more likely to be used by novice admins. 

I agree that mixing NFS and Samba in one task will increase security
exposures and lead novices in the wrong direction, and I wonder how
common it is to want both.  I also think it may lead to extra future
upgrade configuration confusion.

Today on #ubuntu-server I saw this:

(14:01:32) soren: I've put the proposed new tasks at:
http://people.ubuntu.com/~soren/new-tasks/

(14:01:47) soren: Unless anyone objects wildly soon, I'll get them
rolled into the seeds.

Thanks for taking some action, Soren :-)

I was out of town over the weekend so I may have missed some related
conversation earlier on.  But I figured some mailing list notice
would be worthwhile.

One of the proposed new tasks is

http://people.ubuntu.com/~soren/new-tasks/file-server

Task-Section: server
Task-Description: File server
Task-Extended-Description: This task sets up your system to be a file server, supporting both Samba
Task-Extended-Description: (Windows file sharing) and NFS.
Task-key: nfs-kernel-server, samba

 * nfs-kernel-server
 * samba
 * samba-doc
 * smbclient
 * smbfs
 * winbind

I don't know if this is a "wild" objection :-) , but I'd suggest taking the
NFS stuff out and using Jamie's name:

 Samba (Windows file sharing) -- task

or something like it.

Neal McBurnett                 http://mcburnett.org/neal/