Date:	Tue, 09 Jun 1998 21:44:09 -0700
From:	"Vadim E. Kogan" <vadim@vadim.gem.net>
To:	Linux-kernel Mailing List <linux-kernel@vger.rutgers.edu>, Linux SMP Mailing List <linux-smp@vger.rutgers.edu>
Subject: New Linux distribution - PSL

The new distribution is about to be born :-)

PSL == Pretty Secure Linux.
Initialy was internal dist for BizNet. Died :( Now I want to bring it
back to 
life.

Main idea: security + speed on minimized system
It is *not* supposed to be userfriendly. Even more - that's the 
distribution for admins.

Priorities are:
1. security
2. safety/stability
3. speed
4. minimization (i.e. no unused programs. Anyway, that's also potential 
   security risk)
5. everything else.

The development is planned to be backward - i.e. actual installation 
programs & scripts will be done at the very end. That way anything made 
for PSL can be used on regular systems right away and won't become
useless 
if PSL will never be finished for some reason.

The difference from the regular distributions is that there are no 
packages from the "main ftp site". System is planned not as "smart black 
box", but "good helper". The point is that nobody can compile package 
better than the admin of the comp. But with hundreds of packages
installed 
on all those comps in the LAN, it's really painfull to remember what is 
where, what was changed, etc. That's what PSL must do - help admin in 
software-related administrative tasks.

The current status is 0. Discussion is about to begin. I'd like to see
not 
only coders, but also people who feel that they can contribte ideas.
Even 
if you're busy, but interested in the project, you probably can
contribute 
by sending comments and new ideas.

There is no web site right now, but hopefully I'll set up one pretty
soon.

Here are some of the initial ideas:

1. scripts/progs for checking for new releases of all installed soft
2. scripts for tuning for specific needs (like minimum non-root,
deveping 
   station (+t on gcc :))
3. progs for daily check - from FS to logs + statistics
4. config backup/restore
5. scripts for easy developing of packages
	support for cross compiling (even if it's PPro & P5, it's still 
		different options!)
	support for auto-confguration on per-machine basis
	support for auto-installation


More will be discussed on the PSL mailing list. Later it shell make it's 
way to the web... In about one week I'll post current ideas to the
lists, 
so that everybody, who is interested will have time to subscribe. The 
archive of the maillist might help to catch up...

The mailing list is up and should work Ok.
Send "subscribe" in the subject to psl-request@vadim.gem.net to
subscribe.

AGAIN. That distribution isn't even started yet. Please, don't ask 
questions like "When it will be available?". Nobody knows. Maybe ideas
are 
so bad that nobody will want it. So it won't be released at all :)


And yes, I *do* know that this is a lot of work - that's why I need
help.

Vadim



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