[Kolab-devel] Extending Kolab (was: munin)

[Gunnar Wrobel]

Bernhard Reiter <bernhard at intevation.de> writes:

> Richard,
>
> On Wednesday 26 March 2008 08:26, Gunnar Wrobel wrote:
>> > Example munin output: http://munin.ping.uio.no/
>> >
>> > Just to let you know, that this application exists and seems usefull to
>> > kolab admins.
>>
>> munin is definitely a very useful tool and I think using it with the
>> Kolab server makes a lot of sense.
>
> I've only briefly checked the webpage and munin looks overwhelming. 
>
>> Adding it to the set of features provided by the core Kolab server is
>> a different thing though. We'll get the same problem as with grey
>> listing: The Kolab server already has a rather large set of features
>> that is hard to support in its entirety. Each extra application would
>> add a good deal of additional features that would also need testing
>> and support. Given the current man power behind the project we should
>> definitely be careful about that.
>
> I agree with this notion.
> Also my strategy would be to keep the tools orthogonal to what Kolab Server 
> comes with or find a very good one. I do not know enough knowledge 
> to compare munin to all the other solutions to similiar problems I have seen.
>
>> That being said I believe we need a good extension/plugin possibility
>> that allows to provide such additional features/applications.
>
> I would maintain that Kolab Server is already pretty "pluggable" due to its 
> Unix philosophy.

Of course any free software can be extended. The relvant question in
that context is how much energy it costs the user to actually do
that. Usually the free software project itself can try to lower the
initial hurdles.

For the Kolab-Server project I believe we have some dificulties in
making it easy to add stuff like munin or greylisting. Adding such
extensions would in principle just require adding some configuration
files. As such it would be easy to do.

But it is far from trivial for a user that would like to contribute
back to actually get this added into the Kolab-Server so that other
users can test/use this too.

I see at least three problems there:

 - You'll have to ensure the stuff works on OpenPKG

 - You'll have to find a developer to actually care for the addition
   so that it finds it way into the CVS system. That is extremely hard
   as deleoper time is rare.

 - The Kolab-Konsortium needs to support the extension which usually
   means that it gets a good deal of testing so that customers don't
   come back complaining that things don't work.

So in fact adding things like greylisting or munin or something else
is pretty hard with the Kolab-Server at the moment. At least if it is
something a user would like to share with the community and not just
keep for himself.

>  Of course I am still looking forward to your proposal. :)

Will come in few weeks ;)

Cheers,

Gunnar

>
> Bernhard
>
>
> -- 
> Managing Director - Owner: www.intevation.net       (Free Software Company)
> Germany Coordinator: fsfeurope.org. Coordinator: www.Kolab-Konsortium.com.
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