Subject: Re: fix for databases/rrdtool
To: NetBSD Packages Technical Discussion List <tech-pkg@netbsd.org>
From: Berndt Josef Wulf <wulf@ping.net.au>
List: tech-pkg
Date: 02/29/2000 23:06:25
Greg A. Woods wrote
> [ On Monday, February 28, 2000 at 10:21:56 (-0800), Berndt Josef Wulf wrote: ]
> > Subject: Re: fix for databases/rrdtool
> >
> > Let me know about the final outcome on this discussion. I will not be
> > interested in supporting rrdtool in future if it means to revert
> > back to the libraries supplied with the package.
> 
> That would indicate that you find some clear and direct benefit from
> upgrading them -- something perhaps that those of us actually using
> RRDtool as distributed either don't know about or are not so worried
> about.  Can you elaborate please on what those reasons might be?

	1.) I keep my system up-to-date with the latest developments
	    as it is for good reasons when new releases are made
	    available to public... e.g. bug-fixes, implementation of
	    new or improved features, source code maintenance
	    etc. Some libraries used within rrdtool are quite old and
	    have, IMHO, passed their used-by date.

	2.) rrdtool uses libraries which already form part
	    of NetBSD's standard distribution, see libz. so why would
	    I want to ignore this?

	3.) Libraries available from NetBSD's packages tree have
	    been audited, modified, tested and received a fair amount
	    of scrutiny for use with NetBSD and hence I feel more
	    confident in using them.

	4.) The majority of patches supplied with rrdtool pkgsrc deal with
	    installation path procedures rather than changes to the
	    source code. The reminder are changes to the
	    examples sources using the gif format, which due to
	    licensing problems with the compression alogarithm, is
	    nolonger supported in the gd library.

	5.) On my system, rrdtool has since replaced mrtg and I am very
	    pleased with the results. Sofar, there are no bug-reports
	    available, a good indication that rrdtool works. Perhaps
	    I am the only person making use of it... ;-)


There are many more points I could have listed here, but this should
do for now. In this discussion nobody can be right nor wrong, as it
is a matter of personal preference. I don't have a problem if
the consensus of this group is to provide rrdtool with the its privat 
libraries. It just won't be me who will be doing the work after having
spent a considerable amount of time porting rrdtool to the NetBSD
Package Collection.

cheerio Berndt
-- 
Name    : Berndt Josef Wulf            | +++ With BSD on Packet Radio +++
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