Date: Tue, 27 Oct 2009 21:24:58 +0200 From: Giorgos Keramidas <keramida@ceid.upatras.gr> To: Gonzalo Nemmi <gnemmi@gmail.com> Cc: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Subject: Re: Why is sendmail is part of the system and not a package? Message-ID: <878wew7i7p.fsf@kobe.laptop> In-Reply-To: <200910271647.12382.gnemmi@gmail.com> (Gonzalo Nemmi's message of "Tue, 27 Oct 2009 16:47:12 -0200") References: <d873d5be0910270232m45f1f1eela9a99cd2b4572cde@mail.gmail.com> <200910271543.39876.gnemmi@gmail.com> <87skd47m54.fsf@kobe.laptop> <200910271647.12382.gnemmi@gmail.com>
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On Tue, 27 Oct 2009 16:47:12 -0200, Gonzalo Nemmi <gnemmi@gmail.com> wrote: > On Tuesday 27 October 2009 4:00:07 pm Giorgos Keramidas wrote: >> - Import your MTA of choice in a local branch. >> - Integrate the $NEWMTA with the base system of FreeBSD. >> - Update the manpages and documentation for $NEWMTA. >> - Submit the patches to the FreeBSD team for review. >> - Keep updating them as FreeBSD changes. >> - Maintain and keep the $NEWMTA in shape, by: >> + reimporting new releases >> + fixing any bugs that creep up >> + answering questions of the people who are in a (painful) >> transitional phase while the dust from $NEWMTA import settles >> + showing that you have a genuine interest to keep $NEWMTA in a >> functional, up to date, working condition >> >> This is a *lot* of work. Don't be fooled into thinking that I am >> ever implying it's going to be easy. It will take time, patience, a >> _lot_ of effort on the part of the submitter, and a sizable amount of >> _time_. > > That's way outside of the scope of the OP question .. yet still: > > Wasn't ZFS (and isn't) a lot of work? > Aren't DMA, OpenSMTP, OpenCVS, ULE a lot of work? > Weren't OpenSSH, OpenSSL, SMP support a lot of work? > > Actually, I really have a hard time looking for something that wasn't, > isn't, or will be a *lot* of work. > > Maybe we could ask Ed Schouten if his xterm-style emulator will or will > not be a *lot* of work .. like to have an authoritative answer ... > > And since we are at it, wasn't translating the whole FreeBSD > documentation into greek a *lot* of work Giorgos. Maybe you could > provide us with an authoritative answer too. > > What wasn't that didn't stop you from doing it?? Yes, all this was a lot of work and it still is. What I wrote is not in the spirit of silencing anyone who wants to see Sendmail go. It was a description of how it _can_ be done. >> But it is not impossible. So, anyone who really _wants_ to do it, is >> really both welcome to go ahead and certainly free to do it. > > Given the state of the "status quo" .. I really doubt anyone will stand > up to take that task into his hands .. even if as a GSOC. Back when we started to translate the Handbook to Greek, it seemed like an impossibly huge task. A humongous and scary task. Something that would probably *never* be complete and 'done'. Ask our translators now. After almost 8 years of chipping at the bits here and there, we have a loosely organized team of people who actually _like_ doing this sort of stuff. So, anyone who is interested to see Sendmail go, should know that it is going to be a large and time-consuming undertaking. But they should also know that it is not _impossible_. All the projects you described above, including the ones I'm affiliated with, were actually _made_ possible by sitting down and doing the work. What I don't really like is arguing this way and that way, without any intention of actually putting one's code where one's mouth is. If we can reduce _that_ and work on actual "patches" then the status quo can change. Until then, the status quo is here because it works, it has been stable for a very long time, and it serves its current purpose "well enough".
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