Topic: Koozali SME Server v11 2024-06-06 - view from the coalface

[ReetP]

So it's D-Day if you know your history!

Anyways, where has a month gone?

Summer finally here in the Northern part of the globe so visitors, vacations etc slow things down.

On top of that there has had to be a whole lot of back-end maintenance. New SSL certificates, replace faulty server drives and a pile of other stuff, all at the most inopportune time.

So v11 progress has slowed almost to a standstill.

There are several pieces of the jigsaw puzzle all lying in wait, but it needs a few other bits and pieces in place before they can be added in, so there is likely to be little progress before the end of June.

But we think that quite a lot will come together quite quickly after that.

We are trying to get a mainly working system BEFORE we tackle making the installer ISO.

So you can then take a base Rocky v8 and install the Koozali SME packages and get a working server.

Once we have that we'll work on the installer.

For those who like danger please go ahead and have a play and find us some bugs

It is much easier if you have a virtual machine and can make snapshots so you can roll back.

https://wiki.koozali.org/Sme11BuildQueue#Bare_install_test

Right. Back to cleaning my filthy pool!

[Jean-Philippe Pialasse]

to add some details  I am rewriting the code to create and modify user ibays and groups into the ldap db. It used to be based partly on a cli software called cpu, but it tends to segfault on el8 and has not been maintained since 2005. 
So switching all to a perl module and had some working code but not yet happy and decided to write our own perl module based on Net::LDAP module.

the other puzzle on the table on the table is update of qpsmtpd with more flexibility in configuration and a third instance  on 587 submission port.

on the todo list remains replace qmail with postfix and replace djbdns with bind and few bugfixes and we will be ready for alpha/beta/rc.

we hope to release rc during fall 2024.

You might remember a lot of alpha version and beta in the past major versions, but as we are fixing more things before the alpha 1 , we expect to be a more straight path after the first alpha is released.


also sme12 will be able to start soon after release of sme11 and publication of major contribs

[ReetP]

       ^^^^^

Listen to that bloke

Thanks JP.

[robf355]

Hi
on the page:
https://wiki.koozali.org/Sme11BuildQueue#Notes

under Bare install test

The link to rocky linux gives a 404 error, might be better to link it to

https://download.rockylinux.org/pub/rocky/8/isos/x86_64/Rocky-8-latest-x86_64-minimal.iso

Regards
Rob

[ReetP]

And done thanks!!

[steveb]

Ok I am getting onboard to test this out. So I will DM/PM to get on the rocket chat.

On the instructions (which are quite good and easy to follow) there are a couple of references to signal-event and expand-template that happen before the reboot (well at least for me) and so I had to prepend with "/sbin/e-smith/" no big issue just for someone else it might help.

Also I prefer using nano rather than vim (just my preference), so that might help someone as well. It came installed with Rocky. Yes this setup is not really aimed at beginners.

Also I seem to got myself locked out of ssh login (fixed now) as I misinterpreted the "/sbin/e-smith/db configuration setprop  sshd status enabled PermitRootLogin yes access public
# add PasswordAuthentication yes  to enable password login"

Once I redid the line and as "/sbin/e-smith/db configuration setprop  sshd status enabled PermitRootLogin yes access public PasswordAuthentication yes" and the following commands it now works.

Now (after several reboots etc) I do dnf update I get
"

Errors during downloading metadata for repository 'smeaddons':
  - Status code: 404 for http://mirrorlist.koozali.org/mirrorlist/smeaddons-11 (IP: 51.210.31.244)
Error: Failed to download metadata for repo 'smeaddons': Cannot prepare internal mirrorlist: Status code: 404 for http://mirrorlist.koozali.org/mirrorlist/smeaddons-11 (IP: 51.210.31.244)

"
This directory doesn't seem to exist in the mirrorlist. I'm yet to investigate this, and where the repo is being called from.

I installed only the S/Manager2 however I cannot get to this remotely https://<ip>/server-manager I get a 403 Forbidden. I can get to it via the console -> Server Manager which loads up in Elinks (shows as the SME10 (with EOL message) but the SME11.0.0 at the bottom).

Other than that I am up and running. On a Hyper-V at this stage.

Best regards
Steve B


 

[TerryF]

Errors during downloading metadata for repository 'smeaddons':
  - Status code: 404 for http://mirrorlist.koozali.org/mirrorlist/smeaddons-11 (IP: 51.210.31.244)
Error: Failed to download metadata for repo 'smeaddons': Cannot prepare internal mirrorlist: Status code: 404 for http://mirrorlist.koozali.org/mirrorlist/smeaddons-11 (IP: 51.210.31.244)

Due to currently using a temp repo on the new koji build system that is just for this early phase, above is what will become the "real" repos when they are active.  At least I believe so

You can do a manul edit to simply disable the above repo in /etc/yum.smerepos.d/sme-base.repo

[smeaddons]
enabled=0
mirrorlist=http://mirrorlist.koozali.org/mirrorlist/smeaddons-11
name=SME Server - addons
gpgcheck=1
enablegroups=1
priority=10

or via db (prevents it being enabled if a reconfigure is done etc)

db yum_repositories set smeaddons repository status disabled
and then do a template expand

You may have other default repos to also disable, at this stage everything is a bit adhoc so as to test and drive to the first iso..

[Stefano]

on the todo list remains replace qmail with postfix

played a bit with it on a sme10 test machine.. I'm able to send an receive email, but it's just a test

[ReetP]

Ok I am getting onboard to test this out.

Fab!

So I will DM/PM to get on the rocket chat.

Just DM me with a real name and email address for notifications.

[Sparkey]

I just finished going thru the steps outlined and have a VDI image setup that I am able to log into, access server manger via a webface and configure via the console. 

Before I start going thru and checking things, I am making a clone of the VDI.  If anyone is interested in having a working "inital" vdi image I could upload it to a server somewhere and include the settings and password for logging in.  Any interest ?

Mark

[Jean-Philippe Pialasse]

played a bit with it on a sme10 test machine.. I'm able to send an receive email, but it's just a test

willing to share your templates?

[Stefano]

willing to share your templates?

how/where?
let me know

[Stefano]

in any case:

[root@testbed ~]# /sbin/e-smith/audittools/templates

/etc/e-smith/templates-custom/var/service/qpsmtpd/config/plugins/90queue-qmail-queue: MANUALLY_ADDED, OVERRIDE

/etc/e-smith/templates/etc/postfix/main.cf/10start: MANUALLY_ADDED

/etc/e-smith/templates/etc/postfix/main.cf/20home_mailbox: MANUALLY_ADDED

/etc/e-smith/templates/etc/postfix/main.cf/40inet: MANUALLY_ADDED

/etc/e-smith/templates/etc/postfix/main.cf/41mynetworks: MANUALLY_ADDED

/etc/e-smith/templates/etc/postfix/main.cf/50alias: MANUALLY_ADDED

/etc/e-smith/templates/etc/postfix/main.cf/30myhostname: MANUALLY_ADDED

/etc/e-smith/templates/etc/postfix/main.cf/31mydomain: MANUALLY_ADDED

/etc/e-smith/templates/etc/postfix/main.cf/50virtual: MANUALLY_ADDED

/etc/e-smith/templates/etc/postfix/main.cf/50mydestination: MANUALLY_ADDED

/etc/e-smith/templates/etc/postfix/main.cf/32myorigin: MANUALLY_ADDED

/etc/e-smith/templates/etc/postfix/main.cf/60transport: MANUALLY_ADDED

/etc/e-smith/templates/etc/postfix/master.cf/10header: MANUALLY_ADDED

/etc/e-smith/templates/etc/postfix/master.cf/20smtp: MANUALLY_ADDED

/etc/e-smith/templates/etc/postfix/master.cf/30content: MANUALLY_ADDED

/etc/e-smith/templates/etc/postfix/virtual/10pseudonyms: MANUALLY_ADDED

/etc/e-smith/templates/etc/postfix/transport/10hosts: MANUALLY_ADDED

/etc/e-smith/templates/var/service/qpsmtpd/config/peers/local/90queue-qmail-queue: MODIFIED smeserver-qpsmtpd-2.7.0-15.el7.sme

[Stefano]

/etc/e-smith/templates-custom/var/service/qpsmtpd/config/plugins/90queue-qmail-queue

Code: [Select]

{

    #return "# DelegateMailServer set" if $DelegateMailServer;

    return "queue/smtp-forward localhost 2525";

}

/etc/e-smith/templates/var/service/qpsmtpd/config/peers/local/90queue-qmail-queue

Code: [Select]

{

    #return "# DelegateMailServer set" if $DelegateMailServer;

    return "queue/smtp-forward localhost 2525";

}


[Stefano]

As I said, it was just a test

I have all /etc/postfix/* templates in a tgz file

let me know how/where to put it

[ReetP]

how/where?
let me know

Just upload on Rocket....

[Stefano]

Just upload on Rocket....

bug open

https://bugs.koozali.org/show_bug.cgi?id=12737

[pmulroney]

Hi guys,
Finally found some time to get this happening.  Got an old Core i3/16gb/100Gb hdd, setup with Proxmox.  Ran the steps outlined, got a system running.  Server manager doesn't work, but I can SSH into it so that's a start.

Any suggestions about where I might start testing?

Regards
Paul.

[ReetP]

Fab!!

Speak to us on Rocket - it's quite fast moving right now with stuff changing quite rapidly so a lot of docs may go out of date quite fast. Stuff works, breaks, and back!

It will be much easier to guide you there in real time - we can get your install fixed for starters!

[jameswilson]

just wondering when you will have an a/b iso for us that want to test?

[ReetP]

just wondering when you will have an a/b iso for us that want to test?

When it's ready....

Still got to change to postfix, do some more backend work - the switch to git/koji has been tough, more language work.

Will report in due course.

Of course if you come and help and talk to us on Rocket - you have a login - you'll know and we can help set up test machines for you to play with.

And it will get done quicker.

Depending on time and luck possibly 4-8 weeks for an Alpha as a guess, but that is entirely a guess.

We do want it done ASAP, but we need help.

[jameswilson]

When it's ready....

Still got to change to postfix, do some more backend work - the switch to git/koji has been tough, more language work.

Will report in due course.

Of course if you come and help and talk to us on Rocket - you have a login - you'll know and we can help set up test machines for you to play with.

And it will get done quicker.

Depending on time and luck possibly 4-8 weeks for an Alpha as a guess, but that is entirely a guess.

We do want it done ASAP, but we need help.

I know you all are doing well. I cant code so little use apart from testing. Thanks ill put it to non production as soon as it hits alpha.
J

[Jean-Philippe Pialasse]

For iso and full repo we had some work to do first.
As som might know we left an old plague bases buildsystem with a lot of internal scripts to make the magic happen, to a koji based system like fedora.
we had then to work out:
- naming convention
- hierarchy of build repo
- auto signing
- populate distribution repo

still on the todo list:
- auto import upstream needed rpm (rocky, epel, openfusion, rpmfusion)
- building iso inside koji (we used a home script)
- mount the distribution repos to a final published url   


also as John pointed out we are still refining the internal of SME 11.  Postfix instead of qmail, letsencrypt as core, bind instead of djbdns are the big rocks on progress or remaining. They are not mandatories to get an alpha 1 iso but they are not blocked while waiting for an iso. Both work are being done in parallel.

For SME 12 based on Rocky 9 all this work will be behind us.

[Jean-Philippe Pialasse]

Hi there,
some updates regarding the behind the scene work.
Trevor got a good scheme for koji repositories after build and we are currently fencing with the auto cleaning scripts to keep them the way we need. All built rpm are automagically signed.
Trevor is also very busy in testing the process to build a SME 11 iso using koji and pungi instead of our old manual script with lot of manual steps. When all is ready you will get your first beta available soon.
I need to import those rpm now in our usual mirrors.

For the actual SME 11 news:
- postfix in place of qmail is about to be released. From my test it is working, only backward compatibility I would like to add is to keep .qmail files working in order to keeps some usage of current filtering and also have a support to ezmlm or similar software. This is possible there is at least 2 ways to do it (by changing the local delivery agent or by using a wrapper called from a .forward file)
- Let's encrypt in core is a work in progress Brian is putting together to the new manager the beginning of panel I did for old manager, most of the logic is already there behind with the old contribs, but we will add more level of control to be sure the certs will always get renewed, even if someone forgot to remove the domain after changing the dns to point to another server...
- Last big rock remaining to work on is to move the dns service away from djbdns to bind. Then it will be just a matter of few polishing bits and release SME11.