[pptp-server] call to arms: please clean up pptp docs

Dan Bethe dan_bethe at yahoo.com
Mon Jul 9 05:30:08 CDT 2001


	Greetings all.  I don't mean to sound melodramatic, and I'm extremely grateful
for all contributions to the especially unexciting and thankless job of chasing
Microsoft's pseudo-standards.  That job may never end.  However, there comes a
point where you have to make sure all that work you've already done to date is
going to be worthwhile to people by documenting it clearly, once, in an easy to
find location.
	I feel a tremendous need for somebody to do the following:

* delete _all_ the obsolete documentation on PPTP for Linux

* round up to create correct docs on one site (preferably a HOWTO on
linuxdoc.org)

* have everybody test that

* maybe even have a HOWTO for various scenarios (kernel 2.2, kernel 2.4,
various Linux server distros, various clients)

	I beg the maintainers of each of those docs to please at least delete obsolete
and misleading info asap.  I'd even be willing to paypal each of the canonical
maintainers, or one vigilante, for their trouble.  Please, please, please,
please, please.  :}  I'll consider doing that once I get a grip on how PPTP
works.
	I don't mean to complain, and I risk someone hastily thinking I'm lame, but
let me explain the severity of this issue in case you don't already know.  I
spent one entire day tracking down all the different docs, then another day
atomically learning the architecture and behavior of pptpd, pppd, the ppp
kernel module, ppp-2.4.1, ppp-2.3.11, all the various patches, and atomically
reconciling all of those against current reality on Mandrake 7.2's kernel
2.2.17.  I've been a professional Linux sysadmin for five years, I've spent
three days of working day and night on pptp, I understand the intended
functionality of virtually every subsystem involved, and I still don't have a
working system.  I've been working with another similarly experienced admin
this whole time, who also has no working pptp.  Just count the dozens of
completely redundant emails that are on this list every month.  Surely we can
follow more of the lead of other more established open source development
projects somewhere.  :)
	Your work is contributing toward an IT world that enhances the free choice of
each individual.  Make sure the world knows it!
	I'm not on the list, so please cc dan_bethe at yahoo.com.  I'll send a followup
doc to explain my local trouble and ask for help.

with humble thanks,

Dan

=====
Medium System Administrator and Junior I.T. Manager of 5 yrs
 -- Now available -- Linux, MacOS, Unix-like systems
    -- http://mmmgood.net -- dan_bethe at yahoo.com

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