LON-CAPA Auxiliary Software Package Files and Directories

Scott Harrison, September 2000
CVS location: doc/otherfiles

This page shows applications and software packages which are secondary (yet still necessary) to the proper functioning of the LON-CAPA network code.

a "bug-free", working external software package an external software package that is a little buggy and is being worked on an external software package that has a bug and is currently on the backburner (not being worked on) an external software feature that has yet to be really developed, despite possible exploratory work (this may be added to an existing package, or may constitute a new package)

Status Name Description Note

working krb4
[Synopsis] [RPM] From the original source web site:
"Kerberos is a system for authenticating users and services on a network. It is built upon the assumption that the network is "unsafe". For example, data sent over the network can be eavesdropped and altered, and addresses can also be faked. Therefore they cannot be used for authentication purposes." Original source came from:
http://www.pdc.kth.se/kth-krb/
krb4-0.10.1.tar
There are good RPMs for kerberos version 5, however many educational institutions are only compatible with version 4 (and version 4 has its advantages).

working mysql
[Synopsis] [RPM] SQL database server Original source came from:
http://www.mysql.com
mysql-3.22.32.tar.gz

working systemperl
[Synopsis] [RPM] Various perl modules built from CPAN, but do not exist as well-supported RPMs. These modules implement important functionality as well as serving as APIs for system application resources (like kerberos and MySQL). These are the CPAN downloads (http://www.cpan.org/):
Crypt-DES-2.01.tar.gz Crypt-IDEA-1.01.tar.gz DBI-1.14.tar.gz Digest-MD5-2.12.tar.gz HTML-Parser-3.13.tar.gz IO-1.20.tar.gz Krb4-1.1.tar.gz MIME-Base64-2.11.tar.gz MIME-tools-5.316.tar.gz Msql-Mysql-modules-1.2215.tar.gz URI-1.09.tar.gz libnet-1.0703.tar.gz libwww-perl-5.48.tar.gz

working Minimal RPM set
[Synopsis] The set of RedHat standard 6.2 RPMs (including security upgrades) needed for correct functioning of the LON-CAPA server. http://www.redhat.com
6.2 plus upgraded packages

working Developer RPM Set
[Synopsis] A superset of the Minimal RPM set which has RPMs useful for those developing a LON-CAPA server (X-windows, GNOME, various scripting and other utilities). http://www.redhat.com
6.2 plus upgraded packages

almost fixed Installation/Upgrade/Reconfiguration
[Interface snapshots] A Python/TK interface set (orig. Redhat's "anaconda" package) is customized for LON-CAPA specific system maintenance and upgrade. Interfaces have been scripted. Need to bug-proof data storage and passing between interface screens as well as system file interactions.

bug Complete source-to-CD build Separate from external software package building. This step is done when 1 command will read, build, compile, package, and burn a CD based on:

LON-CAPA base source code
Operating System
Operating System customizations
in a well-documented working manner. A key step in all of this is to have all the LON-CAPA base source code automatically build into an RPM.

not made System Initialization Configuration Start all needed modules and daemons upon system boot-up. Already have written a setuid-ed (runnable by 'www') /etc/rc.d/init.d/loncontrol script. Needs to be greatly perfected and enhanced. Should also continually recheck (and if needed) reinitialize SQL database.

bug System Monitoring Have the system perform self-diagnostics and post status reports (as well as reacting to "bad" things like zombies). loncron has been used; we've been running it every three hours through crontab. Still some significant problems, including a slow start-up.

bug Database blocking Handle database requests through a separate parent-child daemon network layer. lonsql has been written and implemented in some tests of loncron. SQL database requests have been working, but lonsql needs to be trained to assess database status better and work with the metadata layer more closely. In other words, this scheme works, but there's a lot left to do.

Name	Description	Note
krb4 [Synopsis] [RPM]	From the original source web site: "Kerberos is a system for authenticating users and services on a network. It is built upon the assumption that the network is "unsafe". For example, data sent over the network can be eavesdropped and altered, and addresses can also be faked. Therefore they cannot be used for authentication purposes."	Original source came from: http://www.pdc.kth.se/kth-krb/ krb4-0.10.1.tar There are good RPMs for kerberos version 5, however many educational institutions are only compatible with version 4 (and version 4 has its advantages).
mysql [Synopsis] [RPM]	SQL database server	Original source came from: http://www.mysql.com mysql-3.22.32.tar.gz
systemperl [Synopsis] [RPM]	Various perl modules built from CPAN, but do not exist as well-supported RPMs. These modules implement important functionality as well as serving as APIs for system application resources (like kerberos and MySQL).	These are the CPAN downloads (http://www.cpan.org/): Crypt-DES-2.01.tar.gz Crypt-IDEA-1.01.tar.gz DBI-1.14.tar.gz Digest-MD5-2.12.tar.gz HTML-Parser-3.13.tar.gz IO-1.20.tar.gz Krb4-1.1.tar.gz MIME-Base64-2.11.tar.gz MIME-tools-5.316.tar.gz Msql-Mysql-modules-1.2215.tar.gz URI-1.09.tar.gz libnet-1.0703.tar.gz libwww-perl-5.48.tar.gz
Minimal RPM set [Synopsis]	The set of RedHat standard 6.2 RPMs (including security upgrades) needed for correct functioning of the LON-CAPA server.	http://www.redhat.com 6.2 plus upgraded packages
Developer RPM Set [Synopsis]	A superset of the Minimal RPM set which has RPMs useful for those developing a LON-CAPA server (X-windows, GNOME, various scripting and other utilities).	http://www.redhat.com 6.2 plus upgraded packages
Installation/Upgrade/Reconfiguration [Interface snapshots]	A Python/TK interface set (orig. Redhat's "anaconda" package) is customized for LON-CAPA specific system maintenance and upgrade.	Interfaces have been scripted. Need to bug-proof data storage and passing between interface screens as well as system file interactions.
Complete source-to-CD build	Separate from external software package building. This step is done when 1 command will read, build, compile, package, and burn a CD based on: LON-CAPA base source code Operating System Operating System customizations in a well-documented working manner.	A key step in all of this is to have all the LON-CAPA base source code automatically build into an RPM.
System Initialization Configuration	Start all needed modules and daemons upon system boot-up.	Already have written a setuid-ed (runnable by 'www') /etc/rc.d/init.d/loncontrol script. Needs to be greatly perfected and enhanced. Should also continually recheck (and if needed) reinitialize SQL database.
System Monitoring	Have the system perform self-diagnostics and post status reports (as well as reacting to "bad" things like zombies).	`loncron` has been used; we've been running it every three hours through crontab. Still some significant problems, including a slow start-up.
Database blocking	Handle database requests through a separate parent-child daemon network layer.	`lonsql` has been written and implemented in some tests of `loncron`. SQL database requests have been working, but `lonsql` needs to be trained to assess database status better and work with the metadata layer more closely. In other words, this scheme works, but there's a lot left to do.