Phil,
Yes, it was me. The purpose is not to add anything new or change anything specific, but rather to get a handle on some ongoing activities that are languishing and need attention. Just look at http://www.amsat.org/amsat-new/AboutAmsat/officers.php if you want to know what I am concerned about.
I will be doing a survey of our applications, like the new Web site and AIMS, to aid in planning for the future. I will also be looking to see how we can best plan for backup application maintainers.
In the long run I can envision a move of some or all of the functions of the current computer into our new lab in Pocomoke City MD contingent on the commercial fiber optic line coming in and a qualified on-site maintainer being recruited. This would allow expanded use of our facilities beyond what is allowed in the university environment.
This is a strategic and executive information gathering activity, not Engineering or an Eagle activity at this point.
Rick W2GPS AMSAT President
-----Original Message----- From: Phil Karn [mailto:karn@ka9q.net] Sent: Sunday, February 18, 2007 8:14 AM To: Rick Hambly (W2GPS); Bob McGwier Cc: eagle list Subject: adding stuff to amsat.org
I had pizza with Brian Kantor WB6CYT Saturday night. He said somebody in AMSAT, possibly Rick, had asked for root access for the amsat.org machine so that various new functions could be added.
I wasn't sure (and neither was Brian) of the specific new functions to be added, but they seemed to be various forms of engineering support.
Brian is concerned, and I agree with him, that these additions might risk the stability and security of a stable machine already relied upon very heavily by everyone in AMSAT for email reflector and web services. Problems might come from the new services themselves, or from the much larger set of administrators with root access that would surely result.
For example, counter to the assumptions of some, the amsat.org machine doesn't run Linux; it runs BSD Unix. They're similar in many ways, but there are crucial differences that anyone with root access must be aware of.
Computers, even rackmount servers, just aren't so expensive or hard to come by that we have to cram everything on a single box. If there's need for another new server to handle AMSAT engineering-related services, I'm sure we could come up with a new box and host it at either UCSD (where Brian would manage it) or Qualcomm (where I would manage it.)
Just let me know what's really needed, and we can make it happen.
Phil