[OpenAFS-devel] Re: [OpenAFS] Adding hooks to the ptserver

Simon Wilkinson sxw@inf.ed.ac.uk
Sat, 16 May 2009 15:23:07 +0100


[ I'm pulling this out from the configuration database thread, as I =20
think there are some interesting issues here, but
   I don't want to muddy that thread ]

On 16 May 2009, at 14:17, Michael Joyner =E1=8F=A9=E1=8F=AF wrote:

> And speaking of feature requests... is there a way to add "hooks" =20
> into the pts security database lookups?

Roughly speaking, there are two mechanisms through which code gets =20
written for OpenAFS. The first is that fixing a particular problem =20
interests a developer ("scratches an itch"), and so they do so and =20
contribute it upstream. The second is that a developer is commissioned =20=

by a client to produce a particular solution (there's a list at =
http://www.openafs.org/support.html=20
  of companies providing this service)

Unfortunately, there aren't a huge number of us in the "scratches an =20
itch" category, and generally speaking we have our (and our employers) =20=

itches to scratch. Unless you can convince someone that adding hooks =20
to the pts database is an interesting problem, simply posing it as a =20
feature request is unlikely to see it implemented in a reasonable =20
timeframe.

However, what I am very keen to do is to grow the pool of people =20
writing code for OpenAFS. If you, or a colleague, have the inclination =20=

to dive into adding the support yourself, I'd be happy to help you =20
here, on IRC, or on Jabber, with any development questions you might =20
have and to assist with the whole process of steering your =20
contribution into something that can make it into the codebase.

Cheers,

Simon.