The reason we can't continue using Samba

[Joe Rhett]

> > And you have over and over stated that a timeline isn't possible. Since
> > that effective means you could quite happily deliver in Q4 2002 we can't
> > possibly count upon having Samba function in any realistic part of our
> > organization.
 
> Yes you can - file and print. Why is PDC support essential
> for serving files and printers ? 

Because we're not using it as a fileserver. If I just needed File & Print,
I can do that with NFS/LPD. Are you really so dense as to believe that
maintaining a hundred NT/98 workstations only requires file & print?

-- Sorry, yes, sarcastic. But you're blinding yourself if you feel that
file&print are the only things anyone needs to run a NT/98 environment.

AND if I have to implement a superstructure of NT servers, then why don't I
just put the disk space on them? Therefore Samba (current) provides NOTHING
that can assist me with our current environment.

> winbind single sign on support will be added into the 2.2.x series also 
> (for UNIXen that support nsswitch modules).

Not being confident of what you mean by the first 3 words, will this allow
workstations to log in and retrieve their profiles?

> > Nobody's asking for a do-or-die date.
> 
> But that *IS* exactly what you're asking for.

No, it isn't. You can ignore my points and be dense all you like. I really
don't feel that the community will offer the Samba team up as a sacrifice
if you're a month or even a quarter late. The intention is to know when you
_intend_ to complete it.

> It will ship when it *WORKS*. We don't want to ship buggy software.

Nobody's asking you to.

> Now - does that help ? Software schedules are notoriously
> difficult to set. It's because we're professional programmers
> that we wont give you a date. Remember, NT5 was due to ship
> in 1997 ! What would have happened had you based an NT5 rollout
> strategy on that date ?
 
Nobody bases their strategy on the specific date. But it gives us some
reasonable measure to determine if we must find another strategy, if Samba
isn't even intending to _attempt_ to be where it needs to be within our
timelines.

To elaborate: If you say that it'll be available in March and we know that
our drop dead is May, we can take a chance that you'll meet your deadline.
We'll have a backup strategy naturally.

But if you say that you can't possibly make it before September, then we
start implementing another strategy NOW ...

--BTW: I saw your notes on delivery dates, you don't need to reiterate
them. These are just examples to make the point that having a known
timeline is helpful.

-- 
Joe Rhett                                         Chief Technology Officer
JRhett at ISite.Net                                      ISite Services, Inc.

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