[lanana-discuss] completed LANANA proposal

[Daniel Quinlan]

This proposal is complete now.  Please send me any final comments by
17:00 PDT Wednesday.  The board expects to vote on this proposal on
April 25th.

The guidelines for the proposal are here:

  http://www.freestandards.org/policy/fsg102-newworkgroup-draft.txt

If you're not on the lanana-discuss mailing list, you can subscribe
here:

  http://www.freestandards.org/mailman/listinfo/lanana-discuss

Also, George Kraft may still be seeking a volunteer for the new LSB
registries.  If you are interested, please contact him.

 Dan

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1. PROBLEM AND PROPOSED SOLUTION ABSTRACT

a. General description of the current problem

Some names and numbers must be statically assigned within the Linux
operating system.  Without registries for these names and numbers,
conflicts between differing implementations are likely which causes
interoperability problems that affect everyone.

b. Brief abstract of the proposed solution

LANANA, the Linux Assigned Names and Numbers Authority, is intended to
be to Linux what IANA is to there Internet: a central registry of names
and numbers within the Linux project.  It has successfully existed as an
informal organization since 10-Apr-2000.  We propose to now make it an
official workgroup of the Free Standards Group.  This will enable LANANA
to better support new registries that are required by other Free
Standards Group workgroups.

The proposed workgroup structure is as follows:

  1. Steering Committee (SC)

     * The SC may create new registries and fill maintainer vacancies
       with a majority vote.
     * The SC may freeze or disband registries and remove maintainers
       with a 2/3 supermajority vote.
     * The SC sets appeals process and policies by majority vote.
     * SC members are all maintainers in place for three months or more
       plus N persons appointed by Free Standards Group board of
       directors (where N is no less than two and no more than half of
       the total SC at time of appointment).

  2. Registries and Maintainers

     Current registries:

       * The Linux Device List, John Cagle
       * The Linux Zone Unicode Assignments, H. Peter Anvin

     Additional registries to be created in 2Q02:

       * LSB package names (Line 12161: package naming)
       * LSB cron.d script names (Line 18638: installed cron.d scripts)
       * LSB init.d script names (Line 18888: installed init.d scripts)

  3. Appeals process and policies

     Basic outline (loosely based on IANA model).

     The appeals process will work by e-mail.  All information is
     normally treated as non-confidential and may be made publicly
     available.

     * A registrant's first recourse is to the registry maintainer which
       has failed to provide the expected service.

     * If the appellant is dissatisfied with the maintainer response,
       the appeal may be escalated to the LANANA Steering Committee
       (SC).  The SC hears appeals based only on technical issues.

     * If the appellant is dissatisfied with the SC response, and the
       appeal has nontrivial process aspects, it may be escalated to the
       Free Standards Group. The Free Standards Group hears appeals
       based only on process issues, that is, claims that the procedure
       was not followed.

c. Existing software, partial solutions, etc.

The web site, www.lanana.org already exists.  Currently, each registry
is consists of a document managed by a maintainer.  Databases or other
readily available software may be employed in the future.

d. Existing free software projects related to the proposed standard.

None.

e. Companies and organizations in the field that would benefit from
   the standard. This should include general industry descriptions,
   as well as major potential participants.

All companies and organizations that make use of Linux.

f. Other parties that would benefit from the standard, including free
   software projects or classes of end users.

All Linux developers and users.

2. INITIAL PARTY INVOLVEMENT

 a. POLICY AGREEMENT

    The core participants are in agreement.  We are now seeking a
    maintainer for the LSB registries, but the LANANA workgroup can be
    formally accepted prior to the addition of the LSB registries.

 b. TECHNICAL AGREEMENT

    See section (1b).

    List specific technical goals for each registry:

    - avoid conflicts in names and numbers
    - provide central repository for names and numbers
    - assign names and numbers using a well-defined process

    There are no known technical hurdles.

3. FORMALIZE PROPOSAL AND PROCESS

 a. CORE PARTICIPANTS

    initial:

    Linux Device List, John Cagle
    Linux Zone Unicode Assignments, H. Peter Anvin
    SC appointee, TBA by board
    SC appointee, TBA by board

    future:

    LSB registry maintainer, TBA by SC
      - package names
      - cron.d script names
      - init.d script names

 b. GOALS TO TASKS, RESOURCES

    Near-term tasks:
      - Designate LSB maintainer.
      - Create LSB registries.
      - Add process information to LANANA web site.
      - Add links between LANANA and Free Standards Group web sites.

 c. INTERIM WORKGROUP CHAIRPERSON

    We recommend H. Peter Anvin as the interim workgroup chairperson.

4. PRESENT FORMAL PROPOSAL TO FREE STANDARDS GROUP BOARD OF DIRECTORS

   To be presented on April 25.
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