[clo-devel] common-lisp.net needs upgrading

[Erik Huelsmann]

The server running common-lisp.net has been running in the current
configuration for a number of years now. Its Debian distribution is
still Etch, which has been moved to the archives June 20th last year.
As a consequence, we're locked out of even the most basic of
maintenance needs: security updates.

Bottom line: common-lisp.net as it is today can't be maintained
anymore. We need to upgrade the system.

We have two options for the system upgrade:

1. Copy the VPS and run dist-upgrade; then fix whatever falls over.
2. Create a new VPS, and make a clean start, meaning that we identify
all services currently running on cl-net and we arrange for the same
or equivalent services to be running on the new system.


Stelian has indicated his preference is for option (2), as too much
has been customized or is installed in custom locations to make a
standard dist-upgrade work. I concur.

Another remark from Stelian is that we could migrate one service at a
time, creating subdomains (svn.common-lisp.net, git.common-lisp.net,
trac...., etc) which might help future migrations.


So, from where we stand now, we need to:

1) Identify all services, users and data we need to migrate
2) Find people who want to help migrate the services
3) Per component, identify a migration plan - we can start migrating
services with complete migration plans
4) Test the new clean setups as well as the combination of the new
setup and the old data


If it's an option, I'd like the full migration to take 2 months at max
from the day we start. I'd be fine with starting immediately and
taking Monday April 4th as the reference day.


Services that I know we're running [without looking at the box]:

 * Mail [MTA]
 * Web
 * Ticket tracker (RT - internal use)
 * Mailing lists
 * Subversion
 * Repository browsing
   - Subversion
   - Git
   - Darcs
   - CVS (do we still want to support CVS ??)
 * Trac
 * spam detection
 * Git deamon
 * rsync (what for?)
 * sshd
 * ftpd
 * lisppaste (on sbcl-0.9.7??)
 * fast-cgi
 * custom administration scripts

Drew and I want to replace RT by OTRS which is also standard in Debian
and we have good experiences with - I set one up recently for
ourselves.

So, I guess for now, there are two questions to be answered:

1. Do you know of any additional services that we need to migrate?
2. Who wants to help out and which services can you help migrating with?

So far, I have volunteered to coordinate the effort.


Bye,


Erik.