InstantMirror needs a rethink

[Les Mikesell]

Jeffrey Tadlock wrote:

>> Most places will have a transparent proxy with no additionnal Linux or
>> RH-specific setup. Instantmirror or rsync local mirrors assume the
>> infrastructure is designed around Fedora, when in fact Fedora installs
>> have often started unofficially bottom up. It is critical for Fedora
>> market penetration that those initial stealth installations go well
>> without someone bothering the IT teams with them (because their first
>> reaction will be to ban anything unofficial that gives them more work).
> 
> I can see larger networks having transparent proxies and such setup,
> but the home user enthusiast or small business?  I don't think they
> would be as likely.  I see InstantMirror of filling a niche for the
> small office or home user enthusiast as a low barrier entry into
> caching updates locally.  There is a thread on fedora-list now with a
> Fedora user looking to setup some form of caching for updates and such
> [1].  InstantMirror seems an option to fit these need well.

Anyone who could set up InstantMirror could just as easily start a squid 
and run:
http_proxy=http://my_proxy:3128 yum update
The issue that squid is somewhat more complicated to configure is offset 
by the fact that it is also generally useful for other caching/proxy tasks.

> This is more to the point I was trying to make.  Should InstantMirror
> be trying to be the perfect Fedora-specific mirroring setup?  I think
> it is a good tool for the small office and home user enthusiast niche.

What's the point of a fedora-specific anything?  Extra work just to make 
fedora behave in a real-world infrastructure?  Why not make a 
configuration tool for squid and make yum behave better with proxies 
instead?  That way things 'just work' in the many locations that already 
have local caching proxies without storing yet another copy and places 
that don't have one could easily.  Fedora could be providing a generally 
useful tool to a small office instead of requiring the extra work of a 
distro-specific package setup.

>  The ones just looking to cache updates locally with minimal fuss
> without the need to maintain a full fledged local mirror or implement
> a transparent proxy.

The proxy doesn't have to be configured to be transparent, but that can 
be a useful option too.

-- 
   Les Mikesell
    lesmikesell at gmail.com