RE: [cobalt-developers] RaQ2 - Alternatives, Secure admin UI,Porting special sauce to Slackware

["David Sutherland" <dave@xxxxxxx>]

disclaimer: IHMO
My apologies for any unnecessary implications of my last post.  My point
remains, however, that security is (or ought to be) the highest priority of
any and every server administrator.  With due respect to the majority of
their customers, precautions and doublechecks on the code and integrity of
the services which manage security are absolutely necessary.

If this product was produced over straight up and insecure distros, the
general admin public would have access to a greater volume of users' input,
open source code, and every other virtue of open source, open forum software
distribution channels.  My current understanding is, that if you modify any
of their code you have broken your warranty.  Well if the product is
purchased for corp backing and greater support for their gidgets and gadgets
and happy interface, and your happy with that, fine.  If you're purchasing
the server for a quick to start, value added platform with corp backing,
greater dependability and hopefully some prepatched security holes, and you
find that by tweaking different aspects of the server you've lost your corp
backing, your value added features; you've opened up new holes by lack of
documentation of their proprietary interface and distro, and it's not so
quick to start.  Wham - back to a looking at a dell poweredge with
slackware.

My concerns are basic:  1) I want my business to succeed, and 2) I would
like to see cobalt have further success with what appears to be a great
product line.  I can't spend 2500 on a box that is supposed to be ready to
go, when I have to spend two months getting it ready to go.  I don't even
have two months extra time to spend, let alone the 2500.  I'm guessing most
individuals and businesses feel similar in that respect.

Documentation on the product line is incomplete and written for webtv users
and the likes.  Perhaps advanced docs, code comments or other provisions
would make my effort to get the box to par a bit easier?

Comments/Suggestions/Questions requested

David Sutherland