Draft a README.md with repo basics, basedb hints

[skylerbunny]

Via some digging, I can see that several "considered-core" FB6 MUF files were eventually removed from here (and I would guess, from the basedb template at the same time). I surmise it's because their functions are present in FB7 so the MUFs are no longer needed. These include:

• lib-gui.muf
• lib-index.muf
• lib-look.muf

lib-mpi.muf, however, is still present in this repository but not in the basedb repo. Its latest commit comment suggests that at least at one time, it was present in the basedb.

The question is, is this oddity because lib-mpi.muf should have been deleted from this repo but wasn't, or because it should be in the Fuzzball basedb template, and isn't?

[wyld-sw]

This repo could certainly use some cleanup. The thinking at the time, I. believe, was that the programs within starterdb don't have a need for these libraries - but we can certainly include them if there's a use case.

[tanabi]

I believe it's acceptable for a MUF program to be in this repository and not in the basedb -- this repository (in my mind) includes any MUF that could be useful even if it isn't part of the starter DBs.

It's probably better lib-mpi isn't in FB7 by default because it has potential security issues (see fuzzball-muck/fuzzball#619)

[skylerbunny]

Sounds good, that pretty much answers the question. What I found was the two year old README for FB6 that basically says 'You need to install the following libraries in order, and then you can install whatever you want', and the fate of this one was the only one I couldn't really work out. (The last commit it has that said that it's 'included with the basedb' confused some. I understand now; it no longer is, but that was purposely done.)

[tanabi]

Yeah, there's some updating to be done here. And I still think we should fix lib-mpi just in case there's legacy programs that need it, but not including it in FB7 avoids a (albiet somewhat minor -- I don't know too many places that hand out MUCKER bits these days) security hole. Let's use this issue as a reminder to fix the README :)

[skylerbunny]

Let's use this issue as a reminder to fix the README :)

Ah, yeah, I guess you hit it on the head -- there isn't any README in the current commit of this repo that describes what to do with what's here, in terms of what you get in the basedb. I think there used to be, but it went away with the passage of time.

[wyld-sw]

I can put together a draft of a README, and possibly a deeper dive for some of the programs we have here. Some of the "must have these in order" mandate came from each program requiring cmd-@register (I have to remember to put @ commands in backticks...), which is now in-server - but there are other dependencies. Thanks for reminding us of this need!