Received a sparc machine as a long-term loan

Some weeks ago I've got a sparc machine for sparc builds of SFE packages. The ILOM is already tested, but it'll take another while until I can setup the OS and integrate the SFE CBE (Common build Environment). Currently a long awaited side project is the cause for delays: A fully integrated CBE package for the build environment that turned out to be a larger project then I thought. I think I'll postpone that CBE-package and instead do a manual setup of the CBE now.

If you are interested in getting basic SFE packages build on sparc, then please get in contact with me soon, so I can try the right packages first. I don't want to stop with postfix/dovecot/perl modules, what do **you** need first?
Let me know! You may use the contact form, tweet to @sfepackages or send email to sfepackages at g mail dot com.

Kudos go to Volker Brandt for the machine! If you are keen enough to join Volker on pushing me to really build fine SFE-packages on sparc, then things can only go faster. (Promise: If there is no demand, I'll better save the cycles).

Asking for feedback, what do you want next? What works for you and what doesn't?

Dear users of SFE. I can see high 2-digit download numbers of LibreOffice 5.2 on Solaris 11 (Hipster has its own numbers). I believe you have something nice to say or you even have some keen idea what SFE should provide next.

Please give me feedback, so I can focus on stuff you can really make use of.
You may use the contact form, tweet to @sfepackages or send email to sfepackages at g mail dot com.

Moving to let's encrypt for the blog site

I'd try to move the blog site to https, but the first attempt in doing this dual, that is, unencrypted and encrypted in one setup didn't really work. I think the load balancers (two in the whole chain) did their part fine, but drupal 7 can't handle that propperly for Javascript: The embedded Javascript blocks didn't switch propperly to httpS URLs, so I'll go back to the workbench. The next attempt will be a https-only-setup. Users of the old unencrypted URLs will then be redirected to the https URL. The IPS repos stay unencrypted for the moment, as I believe the donated hosting zone (thanks to http://www.opencsw.org !!!) can't handle the encryption CPU load if we serve millions of single files.

Samba 4.4.9 and ntvfs aren't friends right now

Unfortunatly, I have to puzzle over a core dump that is given to me when running samba 4.4.9 with an active domain constroller setup created by this command:

samba-tool domain provision --use-rfc2307 --interactive --use-xattrs=yes --use-ntvfs

It looks like the libntvfs-samba4.so tries to initialize and while doing that, it runs into a non linked funktion lpcfg_service which is not present in the loaded libraries. Currently I'm trying to setup a debugging environment to verify this and as well I try to understand if the lpcfg_service call is not there because a normally static-linked module is now dynamic or not linked at all (param.so).

OpenIndiana got a boost after FOSDEM

It was very apparent that the FOSDEM conference was a real motivational push for all the nice people behind the names we normally only see doing commits to the code base and chat on IRC and write email on the lists. I believe we all had a very good time and where able to much much much more understand the way every one is wired differently and how to talk in the right ways. We are all interesting and somewhat special individuals (But all have been very nice!)
If you are running a community maintaining software or are a software vendor, I can only encourage you to send your people to conferences and meetings. Often. Very often. They'll tell you if it's too much. And there is no excuse for not holding community meetings. It is keeping your community at much better health.

Thank you for using SFE and please talk about loud!

Regards,

Thomas