Begin forwarded message:

> From: Jeff Johnson <n3npq@mac.com>
> Date: July 15, 2008 12:09:37 PM EDT
> To: net-snmp-coders@lists.sourceforge.net
> Subject: Re: Unsnarling an rpmdb from the HR MIB
>
> Two years ago I suggested that net-snmp doesn't need to do -lrpm:
>
>     http://www.usenet-forums.com/snmp-coders/286442-re-unsnarling- 
> rpmdb-hr-mib.html
>
> in order to populate the HR MIB.
>
> Since there was little interest from net-snmp at the time (note  
> "Ugh!" comments),
> I dinna bother to pursue sending the patch.
>
> Since then, rpm-5.0 has been released, and is now "masked" in  
> Gentoo because
> net-snmp doesn't link with -lrpm.
>
> So its time for me to attempt to fix the problem in net-snmp for  
> Gentoo.
>
> (aside) Note also that rpm-4.6 from @rpm.org is being released,  
> which, unlike rpm-5.x,
> has a -D_RPM_4_4_COMPAT flag for the *transition* to Yet Another  
> Incompatible API.
> Caveat emptor, note "transition" ...
>
> Hence I believe its finally time to _REALLY_ solve the development  
> issue of net-snmp <-> rpm
> linkage forever.
>
> There is no reason that I know of that the HR MIB *must* link -lrpm  
> (and Berkeley DB and ...),
> the HR MIB can be populated in other ways.
>
> In fact, all non-rpm based systems *already* populate the HR MIB  
> without linking in Berkeley DB.
>
> What is present in rpm-4.4.6 and later is the ability to pass all  
> the information needed
> to populate the HR MIB using 0b files in a directory. The name of  
> the file carries the necessary
> name-version-release.arch information, and the timestamp on the  
> file carries the installtime.
>
> The 0b files are maintained synchronously with rpmdb entries in  
> rpm-4.4.6 and later, so
> one will get the same answer whether you walk the directory, or  
> query an rpmdb.
>
> The mechanism of reading 0b files from a directory is currently in  
> use with PLD linux
> net-snmp and is known to work.
>
> A very simple script, possibly run by cron, or triggered by an  
> event timer, can be run
> for *all* version of rpm, not just rpm-4.4.6 which maintains the  
> files internally.
>
> The script used by PLD is attached.
>
> Which means that the code in net-snmp becomes extremely simple,  
> basically just
> walking files in a directory, and running stat to get the install  
> time. This code is
> *already* present in net-snmp, and a extremely minor change is  
> necessary to
> specify which directory path to walk.
>
> I assure you that opendir(3) and stat(2) are much easier coding  
> than Berkeley DB and
> forked RPM API's. But YMMV as always ...
>
> So what sort of patch do you wish? I suggest ripping -lrpm entirely  
> as described above.
>
> Alternatively, I can/will send along the necessary AutoFu in order  
> to teach net-snmp
> to recognize and link against RPM 5.0, and delver the same to Gentoo.
>
> 73 de Jeff