nanog mailing list archives

Re: how to get people to upgrade? (Re: The weak link? DNS)


From: Simon Lyall <simon.lyall () ihug co nz>
Date: Thu, 27 Mar 2003 09:55:08 +1200 (NZST)


On Wed, 26 Mar 2003, E.B. Dreger wrote:
PV> From: Paul Vixie
PV> appealing, but i'm more concerned about MIM when fetching
PV> update information than i am with simply registering package
PV> version numbers, hosts, and e-mail addresses.

Distribute BIND with public key.  Updates are encrypted or signed
with its counterpart.

But don't distributors already provide this service? Several Linux
distributions (at least Redhat and Debian) and Unix companies (Sun
at least) already provide [semi-]automatic updates of packages like bind.
Just look at the vendor list in the average CERT notice.

Someone who downloads, compiles and installs bind directly from the ISC
is already indicating that they want to go beyond the safe vendor supplied
version thats good-enough for 99% of people.

I'm also worried about any concept of trying to "force" people to upgrade,
even with bind I use some features (namely an external named-xfer program)
of bind v8 that arn't available in bind v9 . For the servers which I need
this on I run bind 8.3.3 (Vendor backported with the 8.3.4 fixes) of copy
the named-xfer program over to the bind 9 box.

-- 
Simon Lyall.                |  Newsmaster  | Work: simon.lyall () ihug co nz
Senior Network/System Admin |  Postmaster  | Home: simon () darkmere gen nz
Ihug Ltd, Auckland, NZ      | Asst Doorman | Web: http://www.darkmere.gen.nz


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