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<TITLE>RE: [Beowulf] Security issues</TITLE>
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<P><FONT SIZE=2>It is much the same in the Debian world. As has been pointed out today, there are some differences between Ubuntu and Debian as to package versions (different kernel versions) and artwork packages, but you can often use packages from a Debian repository with a Ubuntu installation. Perhaps also the other way 'round, though I have not experimented with that.<BR>
<BR>
Perhaps an alternative way to go for a cluster install disk would be a bog standard Debian/Ubuntu/Kubuntu/Xubuntu boot iso image, with a customized install script that pulls in a suplementary set of packages over the network and does some extra configuration (NFS server, PXE server etc).<BR>
<BR>
My point was that it may be easier to modify a Debian (or Ubuntu server) edition than Kubuntu since Kubuntu is more desktop-oriented.<BR>
<BR>
PS: Kubuntu is what I use on my eeePC ;-)<BR>
<BR>
-Alan<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
-----Original Message-----<BR>
From: beowulf-bounces@beowulf.org on behalf of Robert G. Brown<BR>
Sent: Fri 10/24/2008 2:40 PM<BR>
To: Jon Aquilina<BR>
Cc: beowulf@beowulf.org<BR>
Subject: Re: [Beowulf] Security issues<BR>
<BR>
On Fri, 24 Oct 2008, Jon Aquilina wrote:<BR>
<BR>
> true but if there is something that isnt in there i would be more then<BR>
> willing to add it to the repo.<BR>
<BR>
But what is the ADVANTAGE of reducing the number of packages in a<BR>
warehouse from which one pulls packages, when the filled warehouse<BR>
already exists and is free?<BR>
<BR>
I don't know about Debian so much, but with RPM repos one can set up the<BR>
primary full-distro repo, and create as many "local" repos as one wishes<BR>
on the side (or link in to e.g. livna -- other repos other humans<BR>
maintain and that you trust). I can only presume that Debianish distros<BR>
can do the same.<BR>
<BR>
So create a "cluster distro" as an OVERLAY on TOP of an existing distro.<BR>
That way you do far, far less work. All the distro packages are there<BR>
if you need them. Most of the cluster packages you might need are<BR>
already there. If you need to rebuild them, augment them with<BR>
non-distro packages, or e.g. add some custom kernels, build the<BR>
replacement/augmentations, package them, pop them in an overlay. Yum<BR>
will (if told to nicely) use them instead of the ones in the regular<BR>
distro.<BR>
<BR>
Don't forget, of course, that then YOU are responsible for maintaining<BR>
the update stream of any packages you replace -- if the upstream version<BR>
is patched, you'd better (re-re-)patch your augmented version.<BR>
<BR>
This keeps the amount of work to the theoretical minimum required to<BR>
achieve your goals, costs you "nothing" (what does disk cost per GB<BR>
these days -- $0.20 or thereabouts? -- so keeping a full distro costs<BR>
you a few dollars, literally), and makes it extremely easy to track<BR>
updates and upgrades without YOU doing a ton of work.<BR>
<BR>
rgb<BR>
<BR>
><BR>
> On Fri, Oct 24, 2008 at 1:49 PM, Carsten Aulbert <carsten.aulbert@aei.mpg.de<BR>
>> wrote:<BR>
><BR>
>> Hi Jon<BR>
>><BR>
>> Jon Aquilina wrote:<BR>
>>> but why waste time sifting through all 26,000+ pkgs in the repos when u<BR>
>>> can have a distro with repos focused on clustering pkgs?<BR>
>><BR>
>> Because you might/will save time later when you hit user requests which<BR>
>> want packages which are not pre-packaged in your cluster distro.<BR>
>><BR>
>> Cheers<BR>
>><BR>
>> Carsten<BR>
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<BR>
--<BR>
Robert G. Brown Phone(cell): 1-919-280-8443<BR>
Duke University Physics Dept, Box 90305<BR>
Durham, N.C. 27708-0305<BR>
Web: <A HREF="http://www.phy.duke.edu/~rgb">http://www.phy.duke.edu/~rgb</A><BR>
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