Re: Request to Reconsider the Removal of djbdns from FreeBSD Ports (Regarding Bug 256450)

I can't overexpress how much I agree

On 10.11.2023 15:23, Vladimir Marchenko wrote:
>
> Dear FreeBSD Ports Community,
>
> I am a longtime FreeBSD user, having started back in the late 1990s. 
> Yay, it has been since the last century! I am reaching out to request 
> a reconsideration of the decision to remove djbdns from FreeBSD Ports 
> Collection, as discussed in Bug 256450.
>
> The decision to deprecate djbdns was primarily based on its status as 
> "unmaintained" and the precedent set by some linux distributions 
> removing it. However, as David Thiel pointed out, tinydns within 
> djbdns is still solid and widely used, and its removal is already 
> causing frustration among users. This indicates a significant user 
> base that still finds value in djbdns.
>
> Furthermore, Leo Vandewoestijne raised an important point about the 
> relevance of djbdns, particularly its tinydns-data component, which is 
> still useful and can be integrated with other modern tools like 
> PowerDNS and dnsdist. This underscores the ongoing utility and 
> adaptability of djbdns in contemporary environments.
>
> I, personally, found out about this unfortunate "bug resolution" when 
> I once again tried to install dgbdns as a nifty shortcut to have 
> daemontools correctly and easily installed and activated on my system. 
> Daemontools port does not do it by itself. This is just one example. 
> But djbdns is also valuable as a simple and dependable DNS server for 
> local networks where not being an "over engineered monstrosity" is 
> more valuable than strict compliance with all the latest trends and 
> standards.
>
> There are NO good reasons to destroy the value gjbdns brings to users 
> of FreeBSD or to destroy value that numerous tips and manuals online 
> involving djbdns bring to FreeBSD users.
>
> Also, philosophically, destroying good software in this fashion is 
> what Linux crowd often does for a variety of petty reasons and what 
> FreeBSD simply does not. FreeBSD is indeed valued for being stable, 
> dependable, reliable and to a large degree backward compatible. Let's 
> not ruin that!
>
> Somehow, very reasonable objections voiced by Leo Vandewoestijne and 
> David Thiel were summarily ignored and the decision maker in this 
> matter has chosen to rely instead on an obvious logical fallacy 
> "appeal to the [linux] crowd" plus some misguided notions regarding 
> supposed obsolescence and lack of use of djbdns.
>
> Additionally, Daniel Engberg somehow assigned the status of bug 256450 
> as "affects only me" which clearly cannot be further from the truth. 
> Alternatively, if the presence of djbdns port indeed somehow affects 
> only Daniel Engberg, then ruining thousands of setups and workflows of 
> many users just to fix something that affects only Daniel Engberg 
> appears to be all the more nonsensical.
>
> Given these discussions and facts, I urge the community and Daniel 
> Engberg personally to reconsider the removal of djbdns. Its continued 
> usage and the integration with other tools demonstrate its enduring 
> relevance. Let's continue to support the diverse needs of our user 
> base by retaining this valuable software.
>
> Thank you for considering this request. I look forward to our 
> community's continued commitment to supporting a wide range of 
> software needs while ensuring FreeBSD remains reliable, dependable and 
> backward compatible as much as possible.
>
> Best wishes,
>
> Vladimir Marchenko.
>