ANN: ADHCP version 0.3

ANN: ADHCP version 0.3

[Adrian-Ken Rueegsegger]

Hi,

I am proud to announce the first official release of ADHCP, which is an
implementation of the DHCP protocol in Ada. Currently the project
provides client and relay services for DHCPv4.

The project website is at [1], the current release 0.3 can be downloaded
from [2].

The ADHCP DHCPv4 client (adhcp_client) is D-Bus aware and can be used on
most modern Linux distributions as a drop-in replacement for other
clients such as ISC's dhclient or busybox's udhcpc. Instructions on how
to use adhcp_client on a Linux desktop are available on the project website.

adhcp_relay is a DHCPv4 and BOOTP relay agent written in Ada. The relay
agent listens for DHCPv4 or BOOTP queries from clients or other relay
agents on a given interface, forwarding them to a specified upstream
server or relay agent.

The ADHCP implementation is designed to be simple and supports only
essential features while still conforming to the related DHCP RFCs. A
small text file documenting the RFC compliance of ADHCP is part of the
project documentation [3].

Kind regards,
Adrian

[1] - http://www.codelabs.ch/adhcp/
[2] - http://www.codelabs.ch/download/
[1] - http://www.codelabs.ch/adhcp/rfc-conformity.html

Re: ADHCP version 0.3

[Randy Brukardt]

And another new library... - RLB

"Adrian-Ken Rueegsegger" <ken@codelabs.ch> wrote in message 
news:k82upf$3hq$1@dont-email.me...
> Hi,
>
> I am proud to announce the first official release of ADHCP, which is an
> implementation of the DHCP protocol in Ada. Currently the project
> provides client and relay services for DHCPv4.
>
> The project website is at [1], the current release 0.3 can be downloaded
> from [2].
>
> The ADHCP DHCPv4 client (adhcp_client) is D-Bus aware and can be used on
> most modern Linux distributions as a drop-in replacement for other
> clients such as ISC's dhclient or busybox's udhcpc. Instructions on how
> to use adhcp_client on a Linux desktop are available on the project 
> website.
>
> adhcp_relay is a DHCPv4 and BOOTP relay agent written in Ada. The relay
> agent listens for DHCPv4 or BOOTP queries from clients or other relay
> agents on a given interface, forwarding them to a specified upstream
> server or relay agent.
>
> The ADHCP implementation is designed to be simple and supports only
> essential features while still conforming to the related DHCP RFCs. A
> small text file documenting the RFC compliance of ADHCP is part of the
> project documentation [3].
>
> Kind regards,
> Adrian
>
> [1] - http://www.codelabs.ch/adhcp/
> [2] - http://www.codelabs.ch/download/
> [1] - http://www.codelabs.ch/adhcp/rfc-conformity.html 

Re: ADHCP version 0.3

[Adrian-Ken Rueegsegger]

Hi,

On 11/16/2012 07:19 AM, Randy Brukardt wrote:
> And another new library... - RLB

I am not quite sure how to interpret your comment, but actually ADHCP is 
not simply another library but instead - as mentioned - an 
implementation of a DHCP client and relay program. It is usable on a 
Linux desktop as a replacement for the ISC DHCP client for example.

Cheers,
Adrian

> "Adrian-Ken Rueegsegger"<ken@codelabs.ch>  wrote in message
> news:k82upf$3hq$1@dont-email.me...
>> Hi,
>>
>> I am proud to announce the first official release of ADHCP, which is an
>> implementation of the DHCP protocol in Ada. Currently the project
>> provides client and relay services for DHCPv4.
>>
>> The project website is at [1], the current release 0.3 can be downloaded
>> from [2].
>>
>> The ADHCP DHCPv4 client (adhcp_client) is D-Bus aware and can be used on
>> most modern Linux distributions as a drop-in replacement for other
>> clients such as ISC's dhclient or busybox's udhcpc. Instructions on how
>> to use adhcp_client on a Linux desktop are available on the project
>> website.
>>
>> adhcp_relay is a DHCPv4 and BOOTP relay agent written in Ada. The relay
>> agent listens for DHCPv4 or BOOTP queries from clients or other relay
>> agents on a given interface, forwarding them to a specified upstream
>> server or relay agent.
>>
>> The ADHCP implementation is designed to be simple and supports only
>> essential features while still conforming to the related DHCP RFCs. A
>> small text file documenting the RFC compliance of ADHCP is part of the
>> project documentation [3].
>>
>> Kind regards,
>> Adrian
>>
>> [1] - http://www.codelabs.ch/adhcp/
>> [2] - http://www.codelabs.ch/download/
>> [1] - http://www.codelabs.ch/adhcp/rfc-conformity.html

Re: ADHCP version 0.3

[Randy Brukardt]

"Adrian-Ken Rueegsegger" <ken@codelabs.ch> wrote in message 
news:k85m9o$2kt$1@dont-email.me...
> Hi,
>
> On 11/16/2012 07:19 AM, Randy Brukardt wrote:
>> And another new library... - RLB
>
> I am not quite sure how to interpret your comment,

It wasn't a comment at all, it was supposed to be a private message to 
news@adaic.com to add this to the "tools and libraries" page on AdaIC. But I 
pushed the wrong button and sent it to the list.

P.S. It would save me a lot of effort if people here would send these 
announcements themselves to news@adaic.com; that's what it's for.

> ... but actually ADHCP is not simply another library but instead - as 
> mentioned - an implementation of a DHCP client and relay program. It is 
> usable on a Linux desktop as a replacement for the ISC DHCP client for 
> example.

Yes, I noticed that. The page in question is "Tools and Libraries" in any 
case - it covers both in large part because the line is so hard to draw.

In this specific case, I'm not sure what use a DHCP client would be useful 
for - getting IP addresses is something that has to be done very early in a 
system's life and thus belongs to the kernel/OS and not the application 
program. I could see if having use in an all-Ada system but that's about it. 
So I viewed it more of an example program than anything you'd actually use 
directly (much like the web server example that comes with Claw).

Feel free to straighten me out on this.

                           Randy.

Re: ADHCP version 0.3

[Shark8]

On Friday, November 16, 2012 5:35:29 PM UTC-7, Randy Brukardt wrote:
> 
> 
> In this specific case, I'm not sure what use a DHCP client would be useful 
> for - getting IP addresses is something that has to be done very early in a 
> system's life and thus belongs to the kernel/OS and not the application 
> program. I could see if having use in an all-Ada system but that's about it. 

I would love to see an all-Ada [general purpose] OS, with the caveat that the design is not "inspired by"/copied-from *nix.

Re: ADHCP version 0.3

[Simon Wright]

Shark8 <onewingedshark@gmail.com> writes:

> On Friday, November 16, 2012 5:35:29 PM UTC-7, Randy Brukardt wrote:
>> 
>> 
>> In this specific case, I'm not sure what use a DHCP client would be
>> useful for - getting IP addresses is something that has to be done
>> very early in a system's life and thus belongs to the kernel/OS and
>> not the application program. I could see if having use in an all-Ada
>> system but that's about it.
>
> I would love to see an all-Ada [general purpose] OS, with the caveat
> that the design is not "inspired by"/copied-from *nix.

What is it that you object to about Unix?

Re: ADHCP version 0.3

[Shark8]

On Saturday, November 17, 2012 2:48:23 AM UTC-7, Simon Wright wrote:
> Shark8 <onewingedshark@gmail.com> writes:
> > On Friday, November 16, 2012 5:35:29 PM UTC-7, Randy Brukardt wrote:
> >> 
> >> 
> >> In this specific case, I'm not sure what use a DHCP client would be
> >> useful for - getting IP addresses is something that has to be done
> >> very early in a system's life and thus belongs to the kernel/OS and
> >> not the application program. I could see if having use in an all-Ada
> >> system but that's about it.
> >
> > I would love to see an all-Ada [general purpose] OS, with the caveat
> > that the design is not "inspired by"/copied-from *nix.
> 
> What is it that you object to about Unix?

Mostly the design-philosophy inherited/grown[?] with C; though I'll admit to a bit of galvanizing with the response of "just download linux and modify that" in the CS dept when I said I'd like to make my own OS sometime (for fun and [self-]education). -- that's the perhaps oversimplified 1-sentence synopsis.

Re: ADHCP version 0.3

[Adrian-Ken Rueegsegger]

Hello,

On 11/17/2012 01:35 AM, Randy Brukardt wrote:
> It wasn't a comment at all, it was supposed to be a private message to 
> news@adaic.com to add this to the "tools and libraries" page on AdaIC. But I 
> pushed the wrong button and sent it to the list.

Ah I see.

> P.S. It would save me a lot of effort if people here would send these 
> announcements themselves to news@adaic.com; that's what it's for.

Ok, I will keep that in mind for future announcements.

> In this specific case, I'm not sure what use a DHCP client would be useful 
> for - getting IP addresses is something that has to be done very early in a 
> system's life and thus belongs to the kernel/OS and not the application 
> program. I could see if having use in an all-Ada system but that's about it. 
> So I viewed it more of an example program than anything you'd actually use 
> directly (much like the web server example that comes with Claw).

The motivation behind ADHCP and to write a DHCP implementation from
scratch was, that existing clients were not deemed to be robust enough.
The ADHCP implementation is designed to be simple while still being
conformant to RFCs related to the DHCP protocol.

I think that ADHCP is of interest for users which want a minimal DHCP
implementation with a focus on robustness and reliability.

Regards,
Adrian

Re: ADHCP version 0.3

[Jacob Sparre Andersen]

Randy Brukardt wrote:

> In this specific case, I'm not sure what use a DHCP client would be useful 
> for - getting IP addresses is something that has to be done very early in a 
> system's life

Or whenever you move it to a different network.

> and thus belongs to the kernel/OS and not the application program.

On unix systems the DHCP client is typically running in user-space, and
as such a part of the OS you can swich for a different implementation
practically as easily as any application.

I think replacing unsafe/buggy parts of an OS with safer/less buggy
implementations is a worthy goal.  And if using Ada can help getting
there, it is both fine and a good way to promote our favourite
programming language.

> I could see if having use in an all-Ada system but that's about it. 

Once it comes as a package in Debian, I expect to use instead of the ISC
DHCP client I use at the moment.

Greetings,

Jacob
-- 
"No!  The universe is ours."