Re: [9fans] secstore

[presotto@plan9.bell-labs.com]

> Hm, I saw the idea in consolefs(?), but it seemed too good to be true.
> It would seem that with the trivial addition of /dev/null one could
> build an IRC-like facility too :-)

You should hack consolefs if you want a real IRC.  consolefs doesn't
tag what the individual users type with their id.  Also, /dev/null
isn't quite right.  Consolefs only broadcasts what comes out of the
console, i.e., the echo of the typed stuff plus output.  You'ld need
a /dev/echo.  However, if you just hacked consolefs, you could do
away with that and have a real IRC.

> I was considering very seriously going that route for my own array of
> low-power obsoletes, and my main client has a similar need with none
> of the ready expertise I can throw at my equipment.  We use a console
> switch, but that's more out of familiarity than convenience, although
> having a locked computer room does reduce the number of console
> accidents.

Our console server is in the machine room.  No sense putting it anywhere
else.

> The power panel has the advantage of allowing us to power down
> equipment when the UPS batteries risk running out, and power equipment
> back up in a chosen sequence.  You folks are lucky in that you seem to
> have a fairly homogenous system, my client lives in the twilight zone
> of SCO Server, NetBSD (various versions), WinNT and a poorly
> administered network of sundry Win95 workstations.  We seem to be in a
> truce period right now, but I don't expect it to last.

We just do the reset for our debugging machines.  A power panel that
we could remotely shut down would be nice too.  When we lose power someone
has to run in and shut down the machines before the UPS's give up.
Luckily, we only need that on our stand alone machines and the file
servers.  We also have a mixed environment.  Pretty much everything
imaginable is controlled by the plan 9 consolefs.  The admins liked
having secure access to the console server(s).  We have 3 of them now,
there are a lot of machines back there.  We did have to wire DTR high
on the consoles to some machines like the Sparcs, because if our console
server rebooted and DTR went down and up (or is it up and down), the
Suns also rebooted.