[turba] Re: turba Digest, Vol 410, Issue 1

[Eric Rostetter]

Quoting "Eric S. Johansson" <esj at harvee.org>:

> > Then why not contribute to it?
>
> see previous posting where I said yes and included a sample of my notes

Yep, sorry, I was on vacation for a while, just now catching up on the
email.  So I was several days behind when I replied to that.

> another option is to walk away entirely as I may be doing with horde.  I
> did a quick survey of a few folks in my circle and most of them agreed
> that using Horde is a last resort application.

Without knowing *why* it is a last resort for them, we can't come to
any useful conclusion on our end.  In many places, Horde is the first
choice for many people, not the last.

> If IT professionals have
> this attitude from their experience, the project can do what it wants
> but it does have a problem that is driving people away.

I think, without much proof though, that the user base is growing actually.

> adequate is the set of instructions that give a 90 percent success rate
> when followed by an administrator with a couple of years experience.  Do
> I make this all the time?  No.  But it is the goal.

Sounds reasonable, but I guess it depends on the amount of experience they
gain in those 2 years what will happen.

>  Yes, I
> could piece together.  Yes, I eventually learned that I could ignore the
> connect error warning but this begs the question of why should anyone
> have to.

No, no one should have to.  But if no one reports the problem, or submits
a fix, then it probably won't get fixed.

> In order to use calendaring, you need to
> become a DBA.

Well, you could use MCAL, but that is another issue, and no longer
recommended anyway...

> That makes me extremely uncomfortable.  I could not make
> a recommendation to any customer to take on that kind of risk unless
> they already had a DBA on staff who was underutilized.  And even then, I
> would recommend they think twice about that.

I could train any admin in how to do the needed DBA stuff in less than an
hour.  So it isn't much of an issue in my opinion.  But, I really see no
alternative.  To support the features we want to support, with any real
performance level, you really need to use a DB for it.  Just a fact of
life.

There are pay/rent DB systems, but I don't think an free/open program
should force, require, or even suggest the user pay for such a service.
It could of course support one, but not require one.

> I have posted the failures so many times, it got kind of redundant.  But
> since you asked...
>
> Notice: Undefined index: businesscategory in
> /var/www/html/horde/turba/templates/browse/search.inc on line 14

These are not database errors.

> I'm currently heading down the rathole of figuring out how to turn on
> logging.  I've managed to stump the very helpful people on the
> postgresql novice list.  According to them, everything right and I'm
> looking in the right place but it just doesn't work.

Using RH maybe?  If so, modify /etc/rc.d/init.d/postgresql and change the
line (around 150 to 151 in my versions) which invokes postgresql to something
like (sorry for the wrapping):

su -l postgres -s /bin/sh -c "/usr/bin/pg_ctl  -D $PGDATA
-p /usr/bin/postmaster start  >> /var/log/postgresql 2>&1" < /dev/null

(which appends to a log each boot, or to start a new log each boot use)

su -l postgres -s /bin/sh -c "/usr/bin/pg_ctl  -D $PGDATA
-p /usr/bin/postmaster start  > /var/log/postgresql 2>&1" < /dev/null

These will log everything to /var/log/postgresql instead of /dev/null which
is the RH default log location...

> I apologize for my sharpness.  It was a combination of frustration and
> coming down with the flu.  I do not say this as an excuse but as an
> explanation.

Bummer.  Hope you shake that flu soon.

> again, I refer you to the archives.  I have posted more constructive
> commentary and if my project is not killed, I will continue to expand my
> notes about documentation shortcomings and provide then to the project
> to do with as they see fit.

Again, sorry, I was just behind in my mail at the time I posted that.

> it may have been poorly said but the emperor still has no clothes.

Hey, if you have a good body, show it off!

> If you consider the dynamics of mailing lists and the strong reaction
> anyone gets when a project is criticized, the fact that Lee spoke up in
> reaction to my post, is an indicator not unlike the canary in the coal
> mine.  The issue is there.  The indicators are there.  The question is
> how you choose to respond?

Well, by fixing the problem.  Which I will attempt to do just as soon
as I get time.  But right now I don't have time, and still need more input.

You might want to discuss this on the doc mailing list in the future.  It
isn't turba specific (the documentation part that is, not your error messages).

--
Eric Rostetter
The Department of Physics
The University of Texas at Austin

Why get even? Get odd!