Packaging Argus 3.0 for Debian

[Carter Bullard]

Hey Andrew,
    Long time no read, hope all is doing very well for you!!!!!!

    This is a major version number change as its a completely
different output format.  The argus and its clients will be
backward compatible.  Backward compatible in that they can
use existing configuration files and the clients will be able to read
previous versions data, but,  2.x clients will be clueless as to how
to read 3.x data.  Users will have to commit to a change if they
use argus-3.0.  The feature set is not different, but there are a few
new features that have crept in, so that's not 100% accurate.

    With regard to options, we will have a lot of work just to realize
whats different, as argus-3.0 was a clean slate implementation,
but, again, lets say 80-90% right now is the same.  The output
format for some programs will be noticeably different, maybe
a column title is sightly different spelling, filter syntax is the same
but maybe a keyword is slightly modified, that kind of thing.

    New features, for argus we'll be able to track IPv6 flows, there
are 64-bit counter support, and we'll support native 64-bit
machines, and we'll support MPLS labels in flows.

    For the clients, we'll have a new program, rasplit(), which
resembles the unix split(1) program, and is used primarily as a
record collector and to support sorting, etc...   The number one
program for modifications is ratop(), which should be the data
viewer of choice, or at least that is how I want to sell it.  Its still
curses based, but it has a large number of changes to make it
useful.

    So with all of that, lets just package it as argus-3.0.  The argus
is ready for testing, and I'm working on the initial client test release
now, but with the holiday coming up, I probably won't have it
ready until after Easter.

     And last but not least, its your turn to tell us what would help
you, especially with version numbering and installation
guidelines, if we're not doing the right thing.

Hope all is most excellent!!!!!!

Carter



On Apr 12, 2006, at 12:50 AM, Andrew Pollock wrote:

> Hi Carter,
>
> So I will package Argus 3.0 when it releases, I just need to know  
> if it's
> compatible with Argus 2.0.6.fixes.1?
>
> That is, if Debian users dutifully upgrade, are they in for any  
> surprises in
> terms of functionality (existing options no longer supported, data  
> file
> format changed, etc)?
>
> Is there an upgrade path, or should I package it as argus-3.0 to avoid
> problems?
>
> regards
>
> Andrew
>