Linux Package Manager Project Idea

 

Our goal is to introduce a Linux Package Manager Project for Source Code Installation in Linux distributions. This Package Manager would itself take care of maintenance of complete system, which so far has been a very cumbersome job for any administrator. This Linux Package Manager Project along with a Registry would provide an alternative back-end for various text configuration files.

Thus, instead of each application having its own text-configuration files, our Linux Package Manager Project application provides a universal, hierarchical, fast & consistent namespace & infrastructure to access configuration parameters through a key-value pair mechanism.

This would include creation of separate entities:-

• A local database for local machine administration & maintenance.
• A registry for local as well as remote administration of the machine configuration.

Architecture

• I386 Architecture Machines
• Red Hat Linux 9.0 Operating System.

Project Requirements

 The Linux Package Manager Project has some hardware & software requirements that are described as follows:-

 Software Requirements

• Red Hat Linux 9.0 with kernel(2.4.23)
• Linux GUI builder package – QT
• A C/C++ IDE for Linux –  Anjuta
• Elektra API’s

Hardware Requirements

• Two PC’s with usual configurations (128/256RAM P4 Processors etc.)
• LAN connection b/w the machines.

The Problem

It has been long desired to have some kind of Linux Package Manager Project in existing Linux environment. Due to the pre-existing feature of being Open Source, any package can be installed & used, almost anywhere in a Linux system (be it Personal/Server configuration).

Today’s GNU/Linux systems are a sum of independent components collected from Open Source Community. Each of them already has a working, but selfish configuration system.

A Basic Scenario

One of the Linux Package Manager Project system (maintained by an administrator X) has an Apache package (say version 1.4) installed from source (instead of RPM distribution).After some time a new administrator (say Y) starts maintaining that system. Suppose he comes to know that Apache (version 1.4) has a serious security flaw and he installs a newer version (2.0). Now to clean the system more efficiently he has to effectively delete all the files (main files as well as support files) from various locations which become a very tedious task itself.

Thus we realize that the overall maintenance of complete Linux system is a highly cumbersome process which any administrator has difficulty in carrying out, both efficiently & effectively.

How the problem has been attacked

Now that the problem at hand is very much clear, the next & foremost step is as to how the information about various packages, getting installed on the system, needs to be track down & stored. One of the most important design issues that needs utmost attention is:-

• The existing system should not change. It means that we cannot go about changing the entire installation methodology, just for the sake of obtaining the desired information. The reason is if the existing system changes, there is a high probability that the newer system is not at all welcomed by the existing developer & user society.

Thus after considering various other issues, the solution that has been finalized is as follows:-

• We need to trap the information when & where it is getting created & moved into the existing system.
• This information then has to be stored & later on retrieved in an efficient & effective way that would suite our project requirements.

Thus the complete project now gets divided into 4 different stages. They are:-

1. Collection of all the data.
2. Extraction of Information.
3. Efficient storage of the information.
4. Effective retrieval of this information.

Architectural Design

Online Voting System project Idea 

Problem Definition 

To develop an Online Voting System in which complete information regarding the voters is stored in the centralized database. The voter can vote for any candidate while sitting in the home. Proper security algorithms are implemented to stop any kind of active or passive attacks during voting. This Online Voting System can be used for the election as big as the general election or it can be used even in simple college elections.

Motivation Behind Project

Illiteracy is not the only reason for low percentage voting (about 45-50%) in India. None of us wants to wake up early in the morning to stand in long queues in the sun to cast a vote. So we are developing a Online Voting System which will enable people to cast their vote while sitting in the home.

Project Statement 

The project is aimed at satisfying the following requisites:

• Each person will have his own ID and password where he/she can login to cast his/her vote.
• The site will provide the whole details and agendas of different candidates standing for the election which can be access by the different voters.
• A secure database will be designed to store different details of the voters and which will be accessed by the sever to check the authenticity of the voter and to store the vote cast by the person.
• Great level of security will be maintained by implementing security algorithm to prevent any active or passive attacks to the database. Database will be encrypted and not allowed to be accessed by any person.
• Appropriate authentication protocol will be implemented to check the authenticity of the voters.

 

Projects Standard Requirements 

• Following the Software Development Life Cycle in a proper & sequential manner to include all phases of software development; including developing requirement analysis documents, developing design documents, implementation, unit testing, integrated testing and user acceptance.
• A secure site with username and password for login and appropriate authentication software Secure Socket Layer for encrypted data transmission. 

Software Requirements 

• ASP – 3.0 with VB Script for sever side scripting
• MS Access for database backend
• Editor Used for Design : Macromedia Dreamweaver
• Microsoft Windows XP Professional (Service Pack 2)

Hardware Requirements

•   Computer with Basic Configuration & Connection to the Internet.

Scenario Based Description

A database will be created for the centralized server in which details of different voters will be stored. Each voter will have his/her own ID and password which will be used by him/her to log into his/her account. He /she can even go through the details of different candidates which will be on the site. He /she will log into their corresponding accounts and will cast his/ her vote to any of the candidates he/ she likes. The Online Voting System will check his/ her authenticity and store his vote in its database and that particular ID will then be rendered inoperative so that he/ she won’t able to vote again.

Benefits of Online Voting System

• Voters can cast their votes to their candidates without standing in long queues.
• They can get each and every information about different candidates standing for the election and their agendas online.
• The results of the election will be out as soon as the voting is complete.
• Eventually it will increase the percentage voting.