about openssh on AIX platform

[Ingo Schwarze]

Hi,

Damien Miller wrote on Sun, Mar 27, 2022 at 12:06:20PM +1100:
> On Sun, 27 Mar 2022, xuchu at pro dash group dot cn wrote:

>>   I compiled the openssh 8.9p1 on IBM AIX platform(pls see the
>> attachment). I am wondering I can share this with other AIX users over
>> internet.Because IBM has not upgraded AIX version in a long time.The latest
>> version is 8.2. Any advice is very appreciated.Thank you.

> As far as we are concerned, there are no restrictions on sharing OpenSSH
> binaries.
> 
> However, some users are likely to be concerned about running software
> whose provenenace they cannot easily verify, so you might be better off
> sharing the build recipe and instructions so they can build their own.

By the way, the same applies to other portable software developed on
OpenBSD.

I believe it would be useful if an AIX user or a group of AIX users
created a repository that would contain

 * such build recipes and instructions in whatever form AIX can use,
   ideally for automated bulk builds

 * a public version control repository showing the commit
   history of all the recipes

 * and optionally a collection of RPMs built from these repositories,
   for the benefit of users who are willing to trust the
   maintainers of the repository

For some operating systems, i'm already aware of similar community
projects, for example:

 * AUR for Arch Linux
 * Homebrew and MacPorts for Mac OS
 * OpenCSW for Solaris 9 / 10 / 11

But for AIX, the closest thing i'm aware of is

  https://www.perzl.org/aix/

and as far as i can see, that one

 * lacks publicly visible version control of build scripts
 * lacks an OpenSSH port / package
 * contains a mandoc package that is outdated by more than 10 years
 * looks like a one-man project

For more information how various systems handle porting of OpenBSD
software, you can look at the example of mandoc:

  https://mandoc.bsd.lv/ports.html

That also contains entries for AIX, but the entries for AIX
are depressing.  My personal impression is that AIX suffers from
a severe lack of active users and from extremely poor
maintenance habits in the field of porting of free software.
But not being an AIX user, i may be mistaken.

Yours,
  Ingo