Restoring GNATS database

Restoring GNATS database

[Andrew Gray]

Hi Yngve and Chad,

One important outstanding issue with GNATS is the bug database.  After
the main GNU host was cracked in August last year the GNATS database
was unavailable.  I have started looking at getting it back on-line again.

Two key problems are (1) recoving the data from the old database and
(2) identifying a machine that can host the GNATS database.

I have sent a message to the GNU sysadmins and received a response.

Regarding recovering the old database, they asked where the data was.
I guessed it would be in /usr/local/com/gnatsdb or /usr/com/gnatsdb.
Yngve, do you recall what directory the GNATS database on fencepost
was in?

Regarding running the GNATS database on fencepost, the response included:

> Can GNATS run as a non-root user?  If so, reinstalling on
> fencepost shouldn't be a problem.  I recall that in years past the
> installation was poorly maintained / undocumented, and whenever we had
> to swap out hardware or reinstall fencepost, GNATS broke.  Is there a
> stable Debian package that we can keep installed on the machine, or
> does the install need to constantly change?

My response included:

> Yes, GNATS normally run as a specially created "gnats" user.  However,
> I think that root access was required to administer that GNATS and
> Gnatsweb installation.

> I think there is a stable Debian package (3.999.beta1+cvs20020303-1),
> but I'm not sure if we would need to run a newer version of GNATS.
> 
> Another option I am considering is using a cheap Linux virtual hosting
> service for the GNATS database.  If installing and maintaining
> GNATS/Gnatsweb on fencepost would involve significant work for the
> fencepost admins, this approach might shift the admin burden to the
> GNATS maintainer and/or contributers.

Chad, was my response to the question about the stable Debian package
correct?

The Linux virtual hosting service I was thinking of was on jvds.com.
They have a plan that is USD 12.50 per month, I would be happy to pay
this for a year if it would help get the GNATS database online again
quickly.  What do you think about using such a service for the GNATS
database?

-- 
Andrew Gray
GNU GNATS Maintainer




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Re: Restoring GNATS database

[Yngve Svendsen]

Andrew,

see my comments inline.

Andrew Gray wrote:

>Hi Yngve and Chad,
>
>One important outstanding issue with GNATS is the bug database.  After
>the main GNU host was cracked in August last year the GNATS database
>was unavailable.  I have started looking at getting it back on-line again.
>  
>
Excellent news. I put a bit of work into a similar effort some months 
ago, but I was unable to get a useful response from the fencepost 
admins. They were probably swamped trying to restore other stuff at the 
time.

>Two key problems are (1) recoving the data from the old database and
>(2) identifying a machine that can host the GNATS database.
>
>I have sent a message to the GNU sysadmins and received a response.
>
>Regarding recovering the old database, they asked where the data was.
>I guessed it would be in /usr/local/com/gnatsdb or /usr/com/gnatsdb.
>Yngve, do you recall what directory the GNATS database on fencepost
>was in?
>  
>
I seem to remember that nothing was in default locations and I remember 
that the configure command line was extremeky long. I think /var/lib is 
a likely candidate.

>Regarding running the GNATS database on fencepost, the response included:
>
>  
>
>>Can GNATS run as a non-root user?  If so, reinstalling on
>>fencepost shouldn't be a problem.  I recall that in years past the
>>installation was poorly maintained / undocumented, and whenever we had
>>to swap out hardware or reinstall fencepost, GNATS broke.  Is there a
>>stable Debian package that we can keep installed on the machine, or
>>does the install need to constantly change?
>>    
>>
>
>My response included:
>
>  
>
>>Yes, GNATS normally run as a specially created "gnats" user.  However,
>>I think that root access was required to administer that GNATS and
>>Gnatsweb installation.
>>    
>>
If we get a properly maintained Debian package, as looks likely now, 
with Chad's efforts, that would be the way to do it. I am still pretty 
sure we would need root access, though.

>>I think there is a stable Debian package (3.999.beta1+cvs20020303-1),
>>but I'm not sure if we would need to run a newer version of GNATS.
>>
>>Another option I am considering is using a cheap Linux virtual hosting
>>service for the GNATS database.  If installing and maintaining
>>GNATS/Gnatsweb on fencepost would involve significant work for the
>>fencepost admins, this approach might shift the admin burden to the
>>GNATS maintainer and/or contributers.
>>    
>>
>
>Chad, was my response to the question about the stable Debian package
>correct?
>
>The Linux virtual hosting service I was thinking of was on jvds.com.
>They have a plan that is USD 12.50 per month, I would be happy to pay
>this for a year if it would help get the GNATS database online again
>quickly.  What do you think about using such a service for the GNATS
>database?
>  
>
I think we ought to push hard to get this on fencepost, because that is 
really where this belongs. If that proves hard, I should be able to host 
it on one of the Debian boxes in my own basement. It is currently hooked 
up to a 1600/512 ADSL connection with a fixed IP address.

- Yngve



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Re: Restoring GNATS database

[Chad Walstrom]

On Thu, Apr 15, 2004 at 04:09:48PM +0200, Yngve Svendsen wrote:
> >>Yes, GNATS normally run as a specially created "gnats" user.
> >>However, I think that root access was required to administer that
> >>GNATS and Gnatsweb installation.
> >>   
> >>
> If we get a properly maintained Debian package, as looks likely now, 
> with Chad's efforts, that would be the way to do it. I am still pretty 
> sure we would need root access, though.

There's nothing magical about root with respect to gnatsweb or gnats.
Without Mel's patches, gnatsd runs from (x)inetd, and gnatsweb runs as
the apache user (www-data on Debian).  gnatsweb-site.pl can be linked
into /usr/lib/cgi-bin from anywhere and given any permissions we need.

Additionally, fencepost admins can give us sudo access for those
components we need access to.

> I think we ought to push hard to get this on fencepost, because that
> is really where this belongs. If that proves hard, I should be able to
> host it on one of the Debian boxes in my own basement. It is currently
> hooked up to a 1600/512 ADSL connection with a fixed IP address.

Likewise.  I'm gearing up an older Ultrasparc 5 to be my 'Net server to
be colocated in a friend's basement (with a dedicated DSL connection).
Additionally, I have a friend who's hosting my current domains and
wouldn't have any problem with hosting a gnats database.  (I need to
donate a bit for his new server anyway.)

In other words, we shouldn't resort to paying some virtual hosting
services just yet.  Between Yngve, myself, and FSF there should be
plenty of network resources to leverage.

-- 
Chad Walstrom <chewie@wookimus.net>                 | a.k.a. ^chewie
http://www.wookimus.net/                            | s.k.a. gunnarr


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[OT] CC'ing and the list

[Chad Walstrom]

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Just an FYI, I am subscribed to help-gnats, so CC'ing me is not
necessary unless you don't trust the list server or you want to make
very certain I see the email.

-- 
Chad Walstrom <chewie@wookimus.net>           http://www.wookimus.net/
           assert(expired(knowledge)); /* core dump */

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Re: Restoring GNATS database

[Mel Hatzis]

On 04/15/2004 08:56 AM, Chad Walstrom submitted:
> On Thu, Apr 15, 2004 at 04:09:48PM +0200, Yngve Svendsen wrote:
> 
>>>>Yes, GNATS normally run as a specially created "gnats" user.
>>>>However, I think that root access was required to administer that
>>>>GNATS and Gnatsweb installation.
>>>>  
>>>>

I believe 'root' access isn't necessary for GNATS provided you have the
following things setup prior to installation:

   - (x)inetd
   - a 'gnats' user/group on the server
   - an install directory owned by gnats:gnats

>>
>>If we get a properly maintained Debian package, as looks likely now, 
>>with Chad's efforts, that would be the way to do it. I am still pretty 
>>sure we would need root access, though.
> 
> 
> There's nothing magical about root with respect to gnatsweb or gnats.
> Without Mel's patches, gnatsd runs from (x)inetd, and gnatsweb runs as
> the apache user (www-data on Debian).  gnatsweb-site.pl can be linked
> into /usr/lib/cgi-bin from anywhere and given any permissions we need.

Indeed....and even with my patches, you can still run GNATS this way,
both for the flat-file backend as well as the database backend.

[ Running gnatsd via (x)inetd with a database backend though isn't
advisable, given the database connection cost for each client request. ]

> 
> Additionally, fencepost admins can give us sudo access for those
> components we need access to.

Agreed.

> 
>>I think we ought to push hard to get this on fencepost, because that
>>is really where this belongs. If that proves hard, I should be able to
>>host it on one of the Debian boxes in my own basement. It is currently
>>hooked up to a 1600/512 ADSL connection with a fixed IP address.
> 
> 
> Likewise.  I'm gearing up an older Ultrasparc 5 to be my 'Net server to
> be colocated in a friend's basement (with a dedicated DSL connection).
> Additionally, I have a friend who's hosting my current domains and
> wouldn't have any problem with hosting a gnats database.  (I need to
> donate a bit for his new server anyway.)
> 
> In other words, we shouldn't resort to paying some virtual hosting
> services just yet.  Between Yngve, myself, and FSF there should be
> plenty of network resources to leverage.
> 

Sounds good.

-Mel


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Re: Restoring GNATS database

[Andrew Gray]

Hi Yngve,

> I seem to remember that nothing was in default locations and I remember 
> that the configure command line was extremeky long. I think /var/lib is 
> a likely candidate.

Thanks, I have asked the GNU sysadmins to look in /var/lib.

> I think we ought to push hard to get this on fencepost, because that is 
> really where this belongs.

OK, I will focus on getting things set up on fencepost.  If it turns
out there are significant obstacles with using fencepost we can look
at alternatives.



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Re: Restoring GNATS database

[Chad Walstrom]

On Thu, Apr 15, 2004 at 10:24:35PM +1000, Andrew Gray wrote:
> Chad, was my response to the question about the stable Debian package
> correct?

Yes, the stable (and testing, I think) package of gnats will work fine.
The unstable package is broken because of the $(DISTDIR) problem.  I
wasn't able to work on the packages last weekend, but I should be able
to find some time this weekend.

Knock on wood, and I'll be able to start putting time into GNATS during
the workday.

> The Linux virtual hosting service I was thinking of was on jvds.com.
> They have a plan that is USD 12.50 per month, I would be happy to pay
> this for a year if it would help get the GNATS database online again
> quickly.  What do you think about using such a service for the GNATS
> database?

Overkill.  GNU servers and/or savannah should be able to provide us with
space.

-- 
Chad Walstrom <chewie@wookimus.net>                 | a.k.a. ^chewie
http://www.wookimus.net/                            | s.k.a. gunnarr


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