X-Original-To: alpine-devel@lists.alpinelinux.org Delivered-To: alpine-devel@mail.alpinelinux.org Received: from jeremythomerson.com (mail.jeremythomerson.com [74.117.189.150]) by mail.alpinelinux.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 56A91DC0237; Thu, 29 Nov 2012 17:31:22 +0000 (UTC) Received: from mail-oa0-f54.google.com (mail-oa0-f54.google.com [209.85.219.54]) by jeremythomerson.com (Postfix) with ESMTP id C1C631CB28; Thu, 29 Nov 2012 11:36:34 -0600 (CST) Received: by mail-oa0-f54.google.com with SMTP id n9so18971564oag.13 for ; Thu, 29 Nov 2012 09:31:20 -0800 (PST) Received: by 10.60.32.175 with SMTP id k15mr2301315oei.67.1354210280796; Thu, 29 Nov 2012 09:31:20 -0800 (PST) X-Mailinglist: alpine-devel Precedence: list List-Id: Alpine Development List-Unsubscribe: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: MIME-Version: 1.0 Reply-To: jeremy@thomersonfamily.com Received: by 10.76.98.102 with HTTP; Thu, 29 Nov 2012 09:31:00 -0800 (PST) In-Reply-To: References: <20121129152317.69585a4f@ncopa-desktop.alpinelinux.org> <50B78EF5.6040006@arcor.de> From: Jeremy Thomerson Date: Thu, 29 Nov 2012 11:31:00 -0600 Message-ID: Subject: Re: [acf] Re: [alpine-devel] Ideas for a new config framework, ACF2 To: Jerry Jacobs Cc: Der Tiger , Natanael Copa , Alpine ACF , Alpine Developers Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary=e89a8f9218eebcf22804cfa5a661 --e89a8f9218eebcf22804cfa5a661 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 I second the nomination for using Bootstrap for the HTML layout. I'd highly recommend a responsive layout for management from mobile devices as well. On Thu, Nov 29, 2012 at 11:29 AM, Jerry Jacobs < xor.gate.engineering@gmail.com> wrote: > As a theme suggestion if people didn't already know the sleek and nice > organised Twitter Bootstrap which saves the clutter from re-inventing > the wheel again: > > http://twitter.github.com/bootstrap/ > > On 29 November 2012 17:36, Der Tiger wrote: > > Hi Natanael, > > Hi Kaarle, > > > > Thanks for the comprehensive project plan! I fully agree, the current > > ACF is good work, but needs overhauling, due to the problems stated in > > the proposal. At this stage, I am just not sure if using JavaScript and > > introducing client-side GUIs would be wise choices. > > > > - ACF is a configuration framework. IMHO, the configuration of most > > Alpine systems is usually done by a single admin or at least a small > > number of admins, who usually won't do administration work on a single > > machine, simultaneously. Therefore, there is no significant server > > performance benefit to be expected from outsourcing HTML page formatting > > to the client side. ACF is not a "common user" interface. > > > > - Using JavaScript would introduce another programming language required > > besides shell scripting and LUA to write ACF applications and modules. > > Not every programmer interested in Alpine Linux is capable or willing to > > handle an extensive number of programming languages in order to write > > packages for Alpine Linux. The higher the required number of languages, > > the fewer the number of people able and willing to contribute. > > > > - JavaScript is considered by all internet security majors to be a > > potential security risk. This is not only due to security bugs in > > various browsers (e.g. Chrome), but also due to the complexity of > > JavaScript interaction with servers. Most companies filter JavaScript in > > their local nets and allow it only on secure channels between clients > > and the internet in order to make some websites work, where there is no > > alternative method available than a client script (e.g. large volume > > data browsing). Using JavaScript for configuration of a local > > environment does compromise this security strategy. > > > > - JavaScript adds complexity to the HTML page transmitted and displayed. > > It is likely, there are devices like PDAs or mobile phones, that won't > > be able to handle certain JavaScript initiated reformatting of web pages > > correctly. Admins do frequently use PDAs to reconfigure their servers > > and routers or to look up some configuration on these devices. Also > > there is the issue of DHTML incompatibilities between browsers. > > > > - KISS [1], as you certainly know. The more components are required for > > the ACF to work, the higher the risk the next update will render the > > system inoperable. And there are already JSON, LUA, minihttpd and > > various other components involved. > > > > I, admittedly, do have strong reservations regarding both, Java and > > JavaScript. A co-worker once eloquently put it to: "Java and JavaScript > > in 99% of all cases are used by programmers to work around problems, > > they either don't understand or don't care to solve properly." I've > > largely experienced this to be true. > > > > Personally, I'd prefer a slim, slick and lean HTML-only configuration > > GUI with pages generated by the host rather than the client. But than > > again, I'm just an old f@rt, who has no appreciation for "modern", > > blinking, multi-layered and high colour pop-up interfaces, that are as > > slow as a snail and close to indistinguishable from any given first > > person shooter action game. > > > > Kind Regards, Tiger > > > > [1] KISS = Keep it simple, stupid! > > > > Am 2012-11-29 15:23, schrieb Natanael Copa: > >> Hi, > >> > >> Me and Kaarle have been playing with the idea "what if we started with > >> ACF from scratch today, how would it be?". > >> > >> We collected some ideas and have now come up with a fairly detailed > >> plan for an ACF2. > >> > >> Some of the goals: > >> * better security design > >> * remove unnecessary complexity from modules > >> * organize the libs better > >> * fix concurrency - no race conditions > >> * improve CLI interface > >> * modernize web GUI (write the gui in javascript) > >> > >> For web frontend we have been talking of using existing frameworks like > >> Backbone.js and RequireJS. For backend we have been talking about using > >> things like augeas and using Lua tables to create data models. > >> > >> Kaarle has written are more detailed plan: > http://www.datakunkku.fi/acf/ > >> > >> This will require some massive work but I think we can do it. Hopefully > >> it will be simpler to write models once the basic framework is in place. > >> > >> What do you think? > >> > >> -nc > >> > >> > >> --- > >> Unsubscribe: alpine-devel+unsubscribe@lists.alpinelinux.org > >> Help: alpine-devel+help@lists.alpinelinux.org > >> --- > >> > >> > > > > > > > > --- > > Unsubscribe: acf+unsubscribe@lists.alpinelinux.org > > Help: acf+help@lists.alpinelinux.org > > --- > > > > > --- > Unsubscribe: acf+unsubscribe@lists.alpinelinux.org > Help: acf+help@lists.alpinelinux.org > --- > > --e89a8f9218eebcf22804cfa5a661 Content-Type: text/html; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable I second the nomination for using Bootstrap for the HTML layout. =A0I'd= highly recommend a responsive layout for management from mobile devices as= well.


On Thu,= Nov 29, 2012 at 11:29 AM, Jerry Jacobs <xor.gate.engineering= @gmail.com> wrote:
As a theme suggestion if people didn't a= lready know the sleek and nice
organised Twitter Bootstrap which saves the clutter from re-inventing
the wheel again:

http://t= witter.github.com/bootstrap/

On 29 November 2012 17:36, Der Tiger <der.tiger.alpine@arcor.de> wrote:
> Hi Natanael,
> Hi Kaarle,
>
> Thanks for the comprehensive project plan! I fully agree, the current<= br> > ACF is good work, but needs overhauling, due to the problems stated in=
> the proposal. At this stage, I am just not sure if using JavaScript an= d
> introducing client-side GUIs would be wise choices.
>
> - ACF is a configuration framework. IMHO, the configuration of most > Alpine systems is usually done by a single admin or at least a small > number of admins, who usually won't do administration work on a si= ngle
> machine, simultaneously. Therefore, there is no significant server
> performance benefit to be expected from outsourcing HTML page formatti= ng
> to the client side. ACF is not a "common user" interface. >
> - Using JavaScript would introduce another programming language requir= ed
> besides shell scripting and LUA to write ACF applications and modules.=
> Not every programmer interested in Alpine Linux is capable or willing = to
> handle an extensive number of programming languages in order to write<= br> > packages for Alpine Linux. The higher the required number of languages= ,
> the fewer the number of people able and willing to contribute.
>
> - JavaScript is considered by all internet security majors to be a
> potential security risk. This is not only due to security bugs in
> various browsers (e.g. Chrome), but also due to the complexity of
> JavaScript interaction with servers. Most companies filter JavaScript = in
> their local nets and allow it only on secure channels between clients<= br> > and the internet in order to make some websites work, where there is n= o
> alternative method available than a client script (e.g. large volume > data browsing). Using JavaScript for configuration of a local
> environment does compromise this security strategy.
>
> - JavaScript adds complexity to the HTML page transmitted and displaye= d.
> It is likely, there are devices like PDAs or mobile phones, that won&#= 39;t
> be able to handle certain JavaScript initiated reformatting of web pag= es
> correctly. Admins do frequently use PDAs to reconfigure their servers<= br> > and routers or to look up some configuration on these devices. Also > there is the issue of DHTML incompatibilities between browsers.
>
> - KISS [1], as you certainly know. The more components are required fo= r
> the ACF to work, the higher the risk the next update will render the > system inoperable. And there are already JSON, LUA, minihttpd and
> various other components involved.
>
> I, admittedly, do have strong reservations regarding both, Java and > JavaScript. A co-worker once eloquently put it to: "Java and Java= Script
> in 99% of all cases are used by programmers to work around problems, > they either don't understand or don't care to solve properly.&= quot; I've
> largely experienced this to be true.
>
> Personally, I'd prefer a slim, slick and lean HTML-only configurat= ion
> GUI with pages generated by the host rather than the client. But than<= br> > again, I'm just an old f@rt, who has no appreciation for "mod= ern",
> blinking, multi-layered and high colour pop-up interfaces, that are as=
> slow as a snail and close to indistinguishable from any given first > person shooter action game.
>
> Kind Regards, Tiger
>
> [1] KISS =3D Keep it simple, stupid!
>
> Am 2012-11-29 15:23, schrieb Natanael Copa:
>> Hi,
>>
>> Me and Kaarle have been playing with the idea "what if we sta= rted with
>> ACF from scratch today, how would it be?".
>>
>> We collected some ideas and have now come up with a fairly detaile= d
>> plan for an ACF2.
>>
>> Some of the goals:
>> * better security design
>> * remove unnecessary complexity from modules
>> * organize the libs better
>> * fix concurrency - no race conditions
>> * improve CLI interface
>> * modernize web GUI (write the gui in javascript)
>>
>> For web frontend we have been talking of using existing frameworks= like
>> Backbone.js and RequireJS. For backend we have been talking about = using
>> things like augeas and using Lua tables to create data models.
>>
>> Kaarle has written are more detailed plan: http://www.datakunkku.fi/acf/
>>
>> This will require some massive work but I think we can do it. Hope= fully
>> it will be simpler to write models once the basic framework is in = place.
>>
>> What do you think?
>>
>> -nc
>>
>>
>> ---
>> Unsubscribe: =A0alpine-devel+unsubscribe@lists.alpinelinux.org
>> Help: =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 alpine-devel+help@lists.alpinelinux.org
>> ---
>>
>>
>
>
>
> ---
> Unsubscribe: =A0acf+unsubscribe@lists.alpinelinux.org
> Help: =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 acf+help@lists.alpinelinux.org
> ---
>


---
Unsubscribe: =A0= acf+unsubscribe@lists.alpinelinux.org
Help: =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 a= cf+help@lists.alpinelinux.org
---


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