Coin,
1) New mailing list:
As the DC website is quite static and you don't use it regulary, one suggested me to create a mailing list to keep a better link with our users. This mailing list is private, mostly intended for announcement (new services, planned maintenance, outages, ...), but you may also use it to request help.
You were automatically subcribed to this list, and may at any moment unsubcribe. But please do not forget you will then be unaware of changes affecting services you use, and then should not complain about unavailable critical services or data loss.
2) Maintenance:
a) MySQL upgrade:
MySQL was upgraded from 4.0 branch to 4.1 last monday. All applications have proved to continue working perfectly. Notice the password format has changed, some users were then asked for help, and every password was changed unchanged (meaning only the internal format changed by reentering the same exact password into the database), as this may cause login problems with certain database drivers (rails one for exemple).
b) Secondary mail servers:
Hivane was providing MX2 for several zones with a server which is now offline due to loss of housing. Then, mx0.hivane.net was replaced in all the affected zones with mx2.hivane.net. As a security, mx3.hivane.net (which is the same host with a different AS path) was added as MX3 with the same priority.
3) New services:
a) mail server auth and security:
smtp.duckcorp.org is now providing securised connections through SMTP+TLS (using the standard port 25) or SMTPS (port 465). Using such a connection, the server allow user authentication, and would then relay mails from anywhere on the universe (useful for roaming users).
b) Webdesk:
https://webdesk.duckcorp.org/ is hosting Horde, a framework including several web applications, among them is the famous IMP mail client. Don't be afraid, the traditionnal webmail application (SquirrelMail) won't be removed. This is a quite powerful application, but still having some minor bugs (sometimes IMP load fails: log out and in to solve, filebrowser ask for login again: horde automatic login does not work and was deactivated). Have fun using / discovering it. A user once asked me for this feature, here it is.
4) Housing move:
Nerim Ivry datacenter, where Orfeo is housed, is being sold, and every computer is moving to the LDCOM datacenter (Courbevoie). In a few days / weeks, Orfeo will then be shut down for a few hours. As soon as a more accurate schedule is available, you will be notified.
Have a Lot of Fun !