Topic: [SOLVED] Cannot reach wiki.contribs.org. 502 Proxy Error

[LANMonkey]

I am trying to look up the home site for SME Server and the download site and I am getting errors for all the wiki.contribs.org links:

Proxy Error

The proxy server received an invalid response from an upstream server.
The proxy server could not handle the request GET /.

Reason: Error reading from remote server

Apache/2.2.15 (ClearOS Core) Server at wiki.contribs.org Port 80

[cactus]

I am trying to look up the home site for SME Server and the download site and I am getting errors for all the wiki.contribs.org links:

Wiki seems down. I have informed the admin.

[cactus]

The wiki is up again.

[ndelira]

Has anyone noticed that the SME Server main page and/or wiki is running on ClearOS - their competition? Probably because they're taking so long with SME 8 and SME 7.5.1 is just too old to be usable. It's VERY telling...

I mean, CentOS 6 is out and they're still trying to get a working version from CentOS 5.5 base? Come on! They missed the boat already. Just drop everything and start work from a CentOS 6 base instead.

I know, I know, nobody is getting paid for this and time is scarce but do they realise how many people they're letting down? They should just be honest and drop development or else knuckle down and push something out already. The status quo isn't cutting it.

And yes, before all the flames come my way, I know I'm free to use another distro instead - even THEY are using ClearOS instead. Is anybody catching the hint?

I'm afraid this is a dead end project

[LANMonkey]

Has anyone noticed that the SME Server main page and/or wiki is running on ClearOS - their competition? Probably because they're taking so long with SME 8 and SME 7.5.1 is just too old to be usable. It's VERY telling...

I mean, CentOS 6 is out and they're still trying to get a working version from CentOS 5.5 base? Come on! They missed the boat already. Just drop everything and start work from a CentOS 6 base instead.

I know, I know, nobody is getting paid for this and time is scarce but do they realise how many people they're letting down? They should just be honest and drop development or else knuckle down and push something out already. The status quo isn't cutting it.

And yes, before all the flames come my way, I know I'm free to use another distro instead - even THEY are using ClearOS instead. Is anybody catching the hint?

I'm afraid this is a dead end project

The developers of SME have the knowledge and time to use any distro they want.  I don't.  I have lots of gripes about SME, but the fact is, I can actually use it and it's the only Linux distro out there that I can.  The other one is Smoothwall Express, but that's just a router/firewall and I don't need it any more with SME.  I could use both just because I can.

If the developers of SME need, or want, to take their time to get the next SME out, that's OK with me.  I suspect there might be another leap waiting for SME similar to the one that gave us SME in the first place.  Moving to fast on the first inspiration might pass a second one by.

[BarryO]

ndelira:  Bad form hijacking the thread.  Your post has absolutely nothing to do with the OP. 

[mmccarn]

The developers of SME have the knowledge and time to use any distro they want.  I don't. 

I second LANMonkey.  I love my SME.  No intrusions in 12+ years.

[ndelira]

LANMonkey - Are you sure it's a good idea to use SME as a firewall instead of Smoothwall? At least Smoothwall has a 2010 kernel. Isn't SME inherently less secure because it includes such an old kernel version?

SME simply can't be used in a production environment. No small business should expose themselves like that. This distro should be deprecated and renamed "Home Server".

Let me just state that I want this appliance distro to succeed and prosper, and I'm frustrated by lack of development, and that I'm not the only one who feels this way.

LANMonkey - I sincerely do hope there is another leap waiting for SME, too bad we have to wait until 2014 for it...

[gregswallow]

Are you sure it's a good idea to use SME as a firewall instead of Smoothwall? At least Smoothwall has a 2010 kernel. Isn't SME inherently less secure because it includes such an old kernel version?

ndelira, you are uninformed in so many ways that it is not worth responding except for the benefit of others reading. 

SME7 has the most recent RHEL4 kernel and SME8 has the most recent RHEL5 kernel - both with updates in 2011.  Redhat patches the 2.6.9 and 2.6.18 kernel versions with support for new hardware and bug fixes - the support schedule is here - https://access.redhat.com/support/policy/updates/errata/

Also, regarding ndelira's first incorrect assumption: ClearOS _Core_ is a rebuild of RHEL6, similar to CentOS6, except ClearOS Core is a rebuild of RHEL6.1 and CentOS _still_ has not released a 6.1 iso.  Some info here - http://forums.contribs.org/index.php?topic=47609.0

[ndelira]

gregswallow: First of all, thank you for the education. Although, if you initially thought I'm not worth responding to then you definately need an attitude adjustment. Why help others reading this but not me? Acting like some sort of elite clique is the second worst thing a project/community can do (the worst thing is allowing development to stagnate).

Secondly, nothing you said changes the fact that the main page isn't running SME (esmith) but ClearOS. There must be some technical reason for this. Yes, I assumed it was because SME is too old but if that is not the case please enlighten me. If your penchant for not helping me is too strong then for the benefit of others at least. You have nothing to be ashamed about - just be honest.

Third, which others? It's dead in here.
Just listen... *kriek kriek* *kriek kriek* only crickets.... talk about vaporware...

[slords]

Let me just put this all to rest.  I'm a developer for SME Server.  I am also the one running the contribs.org website servers.  It isn't a single server but a cluster of about 28 virtual machines running on top of 7 physical machines.  These machines handle wiki, forums, mailing lists, bug tracker, build system, master mirror, mirror tracking, and a lot more supporting functions that go on behind the scenes.

I'm also a developer for ClearOS Enterprise.  When it didn't look like CentOS would be able to put out 6.x in a reasonable amount of time I took on the task of rebuilding RedHat sources myself.  I am the one one that started this project and am the only one building ClearOS Core at the moment.  My rebuild was called ClearOS Core because I was sponsored by ClearFoundation to build it for their next release.  Not much has been published yet but it is an internal stable build of upstream sources and lags by about 2-3 hours.

I personally do run SME Server.  It is a great distribution and is plenty stable and secure.  It just isn't up to the task of running a cluster.  My cluster is built with CentOS 5.x on the physical machines running RHCS.  On top of this is a mix of ClearOS Core and RHEL6 boxes.  I'm able to build a VM with 6.x that is much smaller and lighter than SME every would be and that VM can be dedicated to the functions that they need to run.  This makes it easy to put it where it needs to be in order to balance the load.  It also makes it easy to rebuild if anything happens to that VM.  This way if something gets hacked (hasn't happened yet), I just need to take that single function offline and rebuild it.