Okay, so new plan for access to code4lib server, since nobody stepped up
to want to be an app admin junta. :)  Subject to approval by Ryan and
Jeff, of course.  Recall that Ryan and Jeff at OSU say they are ready to
grant shell access to code4libbers, but weren't sure how to figure out
_who_ to grant access too--granting access to any random person that
emails Ryan/Jeff seems like a bad idea of course!  So they were open to
suggestion from us.

The idea last time was that there should be one or two or three people
that take overall responsibility for app-level admin on that machine,
who could then grant access to others. (Recall that Ryan is still
overall root sysadmin responsible for OS stuff, just not for our apps).
Which was a fine plan, but nobody said they wanted to do it. :)

So new plan. If someone has a need for shell access (because they want
to be responsible for management of one of our apps; Like the WordPress
for the Journal; or the Drupal; or the wiki; or the planet;  including
possibly new apps that the code4lib community wants)---they email this
code4lib list explaining what they are going to do, and that they are
qualified to do it without messing it up. :)  We, in our usual way, nit
pick it to death and debate it. But eventually a rough consensus is
reached. And Ryan grants the shell access.  If someone thinks it's a
horrible idea to give that person shell access, then I guess it doesn't
go forward. I don't see the need for any actual 'voting', I think mostly
it'll just work out. (For instance, Ryan already pre-emptively gave me
shell access to add new feeds to the planet. If I had emailed the list
and said that, which I'm doing now, everyone would have just ignored it
and/or said, cool.)

So?

Jonathan


>
> On 3/21/08 8:13 AM, "Jonathan Rochkind" <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>
>
>> So as many of you know, OSU is now hosting the code4lib.org server, with
>> the various code4lib community apps running on it. Jeremy Frumkin's
>> group hosts it, and Ryan Ordway does the heavy sysadmin lifting.
>>
>> They're now ready to start granting other people shell access to the
>> machine to manage/admin apps. This was part of the original plan when
>> hosting moved to OSU.  While Ryan provides basic sysadmining and
>> security, the intention isn't neccesarily for him to manage individual
>> apps, but instead to take advantage of interested code4lib volunteers to
>> do this--essentially how things worked before OSU hosted the code4lib
>> server. More hands means less work. (Sometimes, to an extent. :) ).
>>
>> So the question for the community is--how the heck should Jeremy and
>> Ryan determine _who_ to give shell access to? Pre-OSU hosting, code4lib
>> was hosted by a defined group of code4libbers who chipped in for hosting
>> fees, and were the only ones who had shell access. If you wanted shell
>> access, as I understand it, you'd have to talk to them about becoming a
>> member of their 'cooperative', and they'd decide whether that would
>> happen or not.  Now, with OSU hosting... what should happen? It probably
>> doesn't make sense that any Joe Schmoe that nobody's heard of can just
>> email Ryan and automatically get shell access. So ruling that out....
>> any ideas?    Maybe if you want shell access to manage a particular
>> application, you email the code4lib listserv, and....   then what?  Not
>> sure.
>>
>> Jonathan
>>
>
> --
>
>

--
Jonathan Rochkind
Digital Services Software Engineer
The Sheridan Libraries
Johns Hopkins University
410.516.8886
rochkind (at) jhu.edu