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Posted to users@httpd.apache.org by Eric Covener <co...@gmail.com> on 2009/08/24 17:32:17 UTC

Re: [users@httpd] Proposal to Optionally Block DNS

On Mon, Aug 24, 2009 at 4:25 AM, Tom Evans<te...@googlemail.com> wrote:
> On Sun, 2009-08-23 at 00:31 +0000, Mike -- EMAIL IGNORED wrote:
>> I propose this upgrade to Apache:
>>
>>   Options +NoDNS
>
> I think your mailer dropped your patch, can you resend?

golf-clapping this one.

-- 
Eric Covener
covener@gmail.com

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Re: [users@httpd] Re: Proposal to Optionally Block DNS

Posted by Evan Platt <ev...@espphotography.com>.
At 11:37 AM 8/24/2009, you wrote:
>Since I have not looked at Apache source code, for me
>this would be at least several hours work, if not
>several days.  For someone into the source code, I
>expect it to take a few minutes, to an hour or two,
>depending on structure.  I would hope that such a
>person might submit a patch.

I can say with almost 100% certainty, from a few years of QA work and 
12+  years of end user support, 2nd level support, and above, that a 
small change never takes 'just a few minutes' or 'just an hour'. And 
said change almost NEVER can be made without breaking 4 or 5 other things.

Unfortunately, you never really realize the small change you made 
broke those 5 other things until months later. 


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Re: [users@httpd] Re: Proposal to Optionally Block DNS

Posted by Nick Kew <ni...@webthing.com>.
André Warnier wrote:
> Mike -- EMAIL IGNORED wrote:
>>   I would hope that such a
>> person might submit a patch.
>>
> 
> Some elements maybe to enlighten you, from someone who is, like you, a 
> grateful (?) user of Apache httpd, and not a contributor of code.

It's fair enough that he makes a request for enhancement.  There are
lots of them in Bugzilla, and sometimes one gets implemented.
Very occasionally a mailinglist or IRC request leads to a new feature!

If you want it more urgently than that, you have the option to
pay a developer to do the work for you.  I used to be available
for that kind of task myself, and implemented Apache changes
ranging from tiny fixes up to substantial modules for a range
of clients.

-- 
Nick Kew

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Re: [users@httpd] Re: Proposal to Optionally Block DNS

Posted by André Warnier <aw...@ice-sa.com>.
Mike -- EMAIL IGNORED wrote:
> On Mon, 24 Aug 2009 10:57:45 -0700, Aaron Turner wrote:
> 
> [...]
>> I believe Eric was agreeing with Tom's sentiment.   Ie: If you think
>> this is worthwhile, please feel free to submit a patch adding this
>> feature.
> 
> Since I have not looked at Apache source code, for me
> this would be at least several hours work, if not
> several days.  For someone into the source code, I
> expect it to take a few minutes, to an hour or two,
> depending on structure.  I would hope that such a
> person might submit a patch.
> 

Some elements maybe to enlighten you, from someone who is, like you, a 
grateful (?) user of Apache httpd, and not a contributor of code.

As you probably know, Apache httpd is an open source project, and also 
free software.  Basically it means that it is being written by people 
who are not being paid for the time they spend writing it.
Considering that Apache httpd is being used succesfully on literally 
hundreds of thousands of websites worldwide, one would also have to 
admit that these people are competent and know what they are doing.
It also means that you get the result, a piece of software that manages 
hundreds of thousands of websites worlwide and has cost thousands of 
man-hours of work, entirely for free.

Apache httpd is being improved somewhat over time by people who submit 
suggestions, but mainly by people who follow-up these suggestions by 
contributing what is known as a "patch" (a code modification) 
implementing their suggestion.
Such a suggestion, when accompanied by a patch, tends to be taken more 
seriously by the Apache httpd code contributors, than a mere (relatively 
gratuitious) suggestion on a user's mailing list.  It is taken more 
seriously, because it shows that the person who made the suggestion, at 
least looked at the code, understood it to some extent, made some 
change, tested it, and found it to have some benefit and no obvious 
nefarious consequences.
If you are really a programmer, you will understand the world of 
difference between this, and merely making a suggestion on a mailing 
list, based on one particular situation, unverified and uncorroborated 
by anyone else.

The way I personally understand your last paragraph above however, it 
seems to imply that based on the inherent worth of your insight, you 
somehow expect everyone to be in awe, and someone else to do the rest of 
the work for you.
That is not how open source projects work, and certainly not Apache 
httpd, where any apparently harmless change could ruin the day of 10,000 
website administrators.

I am not saying that your suggestion is without merit.  But although I 
am a mere Apache user, knowing how central DNS is to the entire fabric 
and function of the WWW, I would myself expect quite a bit more "backup" 
to such a suggestion, before I even spent some time trying to figure out 
what benefits it could bring, and what other consequences it might have.
Wow, if this option was set in the Apache main configuration, should it 
automatically be inherited by all Virtual Hosts ?  does it mean that SSL 
would not work anymore ? what about "Allow from mycompany.com" ? what if 
some embedded mod_perl or mod_php application tries to do a DNS lookup 
via an Apache library call ?

Does the above provide some insight as to the tongue-in-cheek answers 
you have been getting so far ?


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[users@httpd] Re: Proposal to Optionally Block DNS

Posted by Mike -- EMAIL IGNORED <m_...@yahoo.com>.
On Mon, 24 Aug 2009 10:57:45 -0700, Aaron Turner wrote:

[...]
> I believe Eric was agreeing with Tom's sentiment.   Ie: If you think
> this is worthwhile, please feel free to submit a patch adding this
> feature.

Since I have not looked at Apache source code, for me
this would be at least several hours work, if not
several days.  For someone into the source code, I
expect it to take a few minutes, to an hour or two,
depending on structure.  I would hope that such a
person might submit a patch.

Mike.


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Re: [users@httpd] Re: Proposal to Optionally Block DNS

Posted by Aaron Turner <sy...@gmail.com>.
On Mon, Aug 24, 2009 at 9:36 AM, Mike -- EMAIL
IGNORED<m_...@yahoo.com> wrote:
> On Mon, 24 Aug 2009 11:32:17 -0400, Eric Covener wrote:
>
>> On Mon, Aug 24, 2009 at 4:25 AM, Tom Evans<te...@googlemail.com>
>> wrote:
>>> On Sun, 2009-08-23 at 00:31 +0000, Mike -- EMAIL IGNORED wrote:
>>>> I propose this upgrade to Apache:
>>>>
>>>>   Options +NoDNS
>>>
>>> I think your mailer dropped your patch, can you resend?
>>
>> golf-clapping this one.
>
> So far, this is the only response I have received even though
> the indents indicate that there was another.  It could be one
> of my banned authors.

If you read the email, it should be clear Eric was replying to Tom who
replied to you.  I don't know your list of banned authors.

> In any case:
>
>  I do not know what "patch" is meant.

I found this via Google: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patch_(computing)

>  I am not familiar with the term "golf-clap", so I
>  looked it up.  I found two meanings: one would
>  indicate support, and the other would indicate
>  disdain.
>
> Nothing like lucid communication.

I believe Eric was agreeing with Tom's sentiment.   Ie: If you think
this is worthwhile, please feel free to submit a patch adding this
feature.

-- 
Aaron Turner
http://synfin.net/
http://tcpreplay.synfin.net/ - Pcap editing and replay tools for Unix & Windows
Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary
Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety.
    -- Benjamin Franklin

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[users@httpd] Re: Proposal to Optionally Block DNS

Posted by Mike -- EMAIL IGNORED <m_...@yahoo.com>.
On Mon, 24 Aug 2009 11:32:17 -0400, Eric Covener wrote:

> On Mon, Aug 24, 2009 at 4:25 AM, Tom Evans<te...@googlemail.com>
> wrote:
>> On Sun, 2009-08-23 at 00:31 +0000, Mike -- EMAIL IGNORED wrote:
>>> I propose this upgrade to Apache:
>>>
>>>   Options +NoDNS
>>
>> I think your mailer dropped your patch, can you resend?
> 
> golf-clapping this one.

So far, this is the only response I have received even though
the indents indicate that there was another.  It could be one
of my banned authors.

In any case:

  I do not know what "patch" is meant.

  I am not familiar with the term "golf-clap", so I
  looked it up.  I found two meanings: one would
  indicate support, and the other would indicate
  disdain.

Nothing like lucid communication.

Mike.


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