FreeTDS Development Group

[Brian Bruns <camber AT umcc.ais.org>]

On Wed, 29 Dec 1999, Andreas Tille wrote:

> Sorry, due to problems in my mailing system this mail was delayed for
> one week.
> 
> On Wed, 22 Dec 1999, Brian Bruns wrote:
> 
> > Well, the only question is how we will handle locale information in
> the
> > future. But for now interfaces is the sole configuration file.  Maybe
> we
> > should create a /etc/freetds/ directory though as I can imagine other
> > packages having a file named "interfaces", so it makes it really clear
> > what it is for and who it belongs to (not to be confused with network
> > interface cards etc...)
> Good point.  If you'd ask me I'd prefer
>      /etc/freetds.conf
> or 
>      /etc/freetds.interfaces
>
Well I would do that except there are apps that rely on $SYBASE being
defined and things looking mostly like a OpenClient install. SybSQL
comes to mind in particular and it is one of the big opensource sybase
apps, so I don't see anyone wanting to break it.

So, the name "interfaces" has to stay. It's not as clean as if
we were making this up and we go, but we are working under the
constraints of compatibility with OpenClient. Therefore, I am checking
/etc/freetds/interfaces when there is no SYBASE var defined. I hope this
is good enough.

> > For now, change whatever you want as far as locations.  Our only
> > dependency is that SYBASE is set...I'll throw some code it to have it
> > check /etc/freetds/interfaces or /etc/interfaces (whichever you decide
> is
> > best, I'm leaning towards the former) so even this requirement will go
> > away. 
> The solution above would let me without any patches to compile the
> package suitable for Debian.
>
> > I'm planning a 0.51 release once we get some of the results stuff
> > squared away and to include any progress I make with the ODBC driver,
> > probably some time in January.  Nothing drastic will change but if you
> > need any other code changes to make it more compatible with FHS
> layout,
> > let me know and I'll make sure they get done.
> I could implement the stuff mentioned above but I'm really sure that
> it wouldn't be ready before February (not much to do but I have to
> solve other tasks ...).  If you think that my suggestion is OK, I
> would be happy if it would go into 0.51.  I think this will be the
> best candidate for a Debian-Package.
> 
> General remark to the config file:
> It is general style of Debian to insert helpful comments into the
> configuration files which support the user in deciding what to
> type in.  It would be nice if you could ship an interfaces file
> with some comments.  That would help me out of the situation to
> think about stuff I don't know understand very deeply.  Configuration
> issues are cruxial for a good distribution.  So I wonder how to
> implement an interactive configuration with some test.  To do
> this the right way some information inside the file would be
> very helpful.
>
Good point, it would probably reduce the number of times people ask on the
list how to add entries to the interfaces file :-) I've hacked some
directions up and put them at the top of the interfaces file that ships,
I'll check it in with the other stuff.
 
> Kind regards 
> 
>              Andreas.
> 

Brian