RE: BDB recovery after power outage

["Howard Chu" <hyc@highlandsun.com>]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-openldap-software@OpenLDAP.org
> [mailto:owner-openldap-software@OpenLDAP.org]On Behalf Of Frank Swasey

> Today at 4:39pm, Igor Brezac wrote:
> > Lets step back for a moment.  OpenLDAP, like many other open source
> > projects, is headed by folks who donate their time and
> knowledge for the
> > development of the project.  It is only appropriate to be
> thankful or,
> > better yet, contribute and help with their efforts.
> Usually, features
> > will be dictated by the developers' needs.  That includes
> documentation
> > and it is up to the community to fill this gap.
> Unfortunately the current
> > written documentation may not be sufficient for some, but
> bits and pieces
> > are all there in written english and source code form.
>
> Yes, you are correct.  The problem I am having is this:
>
> 1) People are claiming on this list that the BDB Backend is great.
> 2) People are begging for information on how to get BDB
> Backend to work
>     - the response has normally (I hesitate to say always) been:
> 		READ THE BDB DOCUMENTATION
>
> Now, why is it that those people who are familiar with BDB and claim the
> BDB Backend is so wonderful cannot take the little amount of time to put
> together the documentation?  Are they lazy?  I doubt it.  I'm betting
> they feel that it is so obvious (because they took whatever amount of
> time it took them to read and re-read and digest the BDB documentation
> -- or they've been using it for years) that anyone can figure it out.

> Either way, if someone would take the time to gather the information
> into a place (like a one spot explanation of the options available in
> the DB_CONFIG file), it would be a major help to us.

"Open Source" is not the same as "charity." The content distributed by the
OpenLDAP project got in there because someone was motivated enough to write
it. It wasn't one particular person, it was whoever in the community wanted
it badly enough. This is what "community-developed software" means - everyone
participates, it's not up to one single person.

Time and time again people ask "can you please add this to the FAQ" or "can
you please add X to Y." The standard answer is "the FAQ is interactive - if
you think an answer belongs in it, add it." If you think something needs to
be changed in the distribution, file an ITS. If you expect to be able to just
wish for it and have it magically get done, you're in the wrong place. Things
get done when you make them get done. Complaining on the -software list does
not count as a mechanism for getting things done.

I try very hard not to be blatant about advertising in this forum, but as
Igor pointed out, you can always pay someone to get your problem fixed, if
you can't do it yourself. Given my extensive experience with this project and
all of its associated software, and given the fact that I need to make a
living, I of course believe you should be hiring my company, but that choice
is up to you.

  -- Howard Chu
  Chief Architect, Symas Corp.       Director, Highland Sun
  http://www.symas.com               http://highlandsun.com/hyc
  Symas: Premier OpenSource Development and Support