Just a few ideas

Hi all !

Just my 2 cents for this GUI :

• first, I think we all agree on the fact that the GUI should be WEB-based (since a protocol exists, why should we developp something new again and again ?), even if emerging ideas (such as telnet-based interface) should also be taken in account (but it's the underlaying protocol IMHO)

    (1) : Web-based     

• second, if you look at the things that differ from one server to another, you've got basically :
  • the conf directory (where you find httpd.conf, srm.conf, access.conf, mime.types, ...)
  • the logs directory (where you find access.log, error.log, httpd.pid, the scoreboard, ...)

    (2) : Have a common directory tree for all httpd binaries, support

          programs, ... have a _COMMON_ and _SEPARATE_ administration
          server, which have a global vision of all the other server (this
          is the Netscape Server approach)
          Have also a "template" version of configuration files for new
          & quick web creation (a minimal form and your web is up !)
    

• third, configuration files versions should be maintained by the administration server (via RCS, CVS or whatever you like such as number suffix), in order to be able to go one version back if any error in the new configuration files

    (3) : have config files versioning   

• fourth, the fonctionnalities : an adminitsrator should be able to change any basic parameters in the server (adress, port, alias, scriptalias, ) ... versatile parameters which are module-dependant should be obtained via the 'info module' and passed as-is to the GUI as text ...

    (4) : basic parameters settings + admin actions such as start, stop, reload    

• fifth, the programming language : the one which is the most portable today is obviously C; perl, python, java, C++ ... need prerequisite installations

    (5) : have it done in C   

• six, the implementation : as CGI _OR_ ApacheAPI, depending on the performances you need

    (6) : have it done with CGI (which is the cheapest and fastest way)   

• seventh, security : the administration server is launched on a non privilegied port, as a non-privilegied user, the access is password-protected. The adminitrator can then protect each server admin tool with another password (in order to have web admin delegation)

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    (7) : separate server, NP port, _NOT_ root (!), password protected     

• eight, the interface : IMHO, the best way is to have a 2 frames screen, with a quick'n'fast navigation bar at the top and the main screen at the bottom (no more than 2 frames, the upper frame should not change too much, we don't want a slow interface 'a la Netscape')

    (8) : 2 frames interface     

• nine, batch administration : the GUI should be able to be 'linecommand driven', for batch configuration (I really don't know what we can do with that, but ...); that's not a big deal to have a 2 layers programming method, on for the presentation, and one for the real stuff (reading, modifying, writing server config files, killing the http daemon, ...)

    (9) : 2 layers programming method

Hope this help (and sorry for my awfull english) Any comment greatly appreciated ! ;-)
Pierre-Yves

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Pierre-Yves KEREMBELLEC         Phone # +33 1 46 12 67 50
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