Documentation question/issue

[Alan DeKok]

On Oct 28, 2024, at 6:10 PM, Dan M <dan.red.beard at gmail.com> wrote:
>>  This is all documented.
> 
> Often I find that answer to be true.  Not sufficiently for my questions
> today.

  The python / python3 modules take the RADIUS attributes, and dump then into python dicts.  When the module is done, they take the python dicts and put them back into the RADIUS attributes.

> There is nothing in that file about what is actually going on inside FR when
> using python3.

   We're happy to take patches.

  Unfortunately, we've seen very, very, few patches to fix the documentation.  Oh well.

> It only talks about the PYTHONPATH and implementing functions.
> And I don't think PYTHONPATH is relevant until python is actually active.

  The PYTHONPATH is only used for loading python code, when the rlm_python module is running.

> Is this correct: 
> Installing freeradius-python add supports for python 3 in FR 3.2.6.
> Internally, FR uses libpython3 to create a python environment.
> Since the name of libpython3.so is not versioned (beyond 3) FR doesn't need
> to know nor does it care which 3.x version is installed.
> FR will us what it finds.
> (I'm on RHEL 9)

  That's the idea.

> And since it isn't using the python3 command there is no "default" package
> path.
> If anything is needed from say /usr/lib64/python3.9/site-packages then that
> path
> has to be added to python_path in mods-config/python3 (or possibly the
> system var instead)

  Yes.

> I suppose it says that but not quite so explicitly especially for someone
> invoking python3 and getting all that for free.
> 
> I'm pretty sure there used to be a page that said all this.
> And also pretty sure that it is neither in any installed files nor is it
> obvious.

  All of the documentation is up to date, as best we can make it.  We don't generally delete documentation which is useful to people.

> So when some info security agent asks me "how does it use the local
> installation?"
> I can't point to your documentation and say: "like that!"
> Because there isn't any.
> 
> Would be nice if you had something like that.
> Because I will be asked.

  Figure it out and submit a patch.

  Unfortunately, I've seen about 100x more complaints than patches.  For some unknown reason, the documentation doesn't improve.

  This is Free Software.  It gets better when people contribute.  If most people don't contribute, then it's up to the small number of people who do contribute.  And they're generally inclined to be happier with patches than with complaints.

  Alan DeKok.