[clug] Installfest / Install-off

[Adam Thomas]

On Thu, Oct 02, 2008 at 12:52:51PM +1000, Alex Satrapa wrote:
> One little idea that occurred to me after Installfest was to have a  
> scenario-based "install-off" where we pose a scenario and get teams (or 
> just "the mob") to set up a Linux environment to support the scenario.
>
> For example, a plain vanilla install-off could be to set up a SOHO  
> infrastructure consisting of:
>  - DHCP
>  - LDAP
>  - Web proxy
>  - firewall / router
>  - Samba
>  - CUPS
>  - (backup software such as Backula)
>  - Intranet server (eg: Apache web server, some kind of Wiki)
>  - Mail server (SMTP, IMAP) with virus scanning
>  - DNS set up as securely as possible
>  - Monitoring software such as Nagios
>
> Ideally, the final "product" would undergo a series of automated and  
> manual tests (eg: a test suite that would verify all services being  
> available as expected, then try to connect up Mac OS X, Windows XP and 
> Windows Vista computers and have them communicate files and emails).
>

I think the biggest test would come when you tell them they have to
pass the test suite again after you dd /dev/zero to the disk and they 
have restored from backups. :P

<snip>
> If there's any support for this idea, I'll get started on the "rules of 
> the game" along with setting up a battery of tests to be passed in order 
> for us to consider the objectives accomplished.
>
> Ideally the result of such an "install-off" would be a bunch of people 
> becoming more knowledgeable about the use of Linux in the scenarios 
> covered by the event. Perhaps we'd even be able to produce reusable tools 
> to help people bring their own installations up to the same standard as 
> we produce in these events!

It does sound like an event where people would learn lots while having a 
bit of fun. I'd be keen to join in if it lands on a day I don't
already have 10 things scheduled. 

>
> Regards
> Alex
>
> PS: It occurs to me that the first "install-off" would be "set up a  
> source control system and blog/wiki for tracking install-off  
> projects"...
>
> -- 
> linux mailing list
> linux at lists.samba.org
> https://lists.samba.org/mailman/listinfo/linux