discrete units

[Gary E. Miller]

Yo James!

On Mon, 18 Jan 2021 17:48:28 -0800
James Browning via devel <devel at ntpsec.org> wrote:

> On Mon, Jan 18, 2021, at 5:03 PM Gary E. Miller via devel
> <devel at ntpsec.org> wrote:
> 
> > On Mon, 18 Jan 2021 16:58:11 -0800
> > Hal Murray via devel <devel at ntpsec.org> wrote:
> >  
> > > James said:  
> > > > I think NTPsec should be completely rewritten as discrete
> > > > units.  
> > >
> > > What does that mean?  
> >
> > I think he is referring to reecent proposals to split ntpd up into
> > multiple daemons.  Daemons for the core, NTS, clients, etc.  Each
> > doing a small job.  Rather than the one big daemon we have now.
> >
> > Sorta like sendmail to postfix.
> >  
> 
> The permissions required by NTPsec are a mess partly because
> it is not a do one thing well daemon. Instead, you have the
> Lernean Hydra, which has too many heads and gaining more. I
> was writing a long blob on how doing too many things was
> bloating the list of required permissions, but I decided t
> scrap it. Also, a rewrite would allow and encourage skipping
> the problematic parts of singlesock, events, and goprep.

+1

> > > I'd be happy to split the big header files, ntp.h and ntpd.h, into
> > > chunks corresponding to a more modular structure.  
> >
> > It made sense when using floppy disks to make .h files small.  BUt
> > now I find it much easier to have large files.  So I dont have to
> > keep jumping from file to file.
> >  
> 
> Then why not splat it into a 29ish K bison file and a dozen C
> files totaling 258ish K. I can't properly wrap my mind around
> large amounts of code.

The amount of code is the same in one large file or split into several
smaller ones.  Your mind still has to wrap around it.  

But, as you suggest, creating many single purpose daemons does decrease
the mental load in understanding each one.  It also forces cleaner
interfaces.

RGDS
GARY
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gary E. Miller Rellim 109 NW Wilmington Ave., Suite E, Bend, OR 97703
	gem at rellim.com  Tel:+1 541 382 8588

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