Hello advogato,
I'm currently integrating Pliant database engine in the Pliant Debian installation script (installs Debian distibution without Debian installation tools and patches the Debian scripts on the file in order to proceed unattended: all the configuration files will be built on the fly from the content of the target computer description in Pliant database, so that when done, you don't have to change a single file by hand).
The FullPliant distribution has been upgraded as well: Pliant on top of Linux kernel with no extra code (except statically linked 'e2fsck' that I'm not fool enough to port to Pliant).
Will end soon (a few days) with upgrading the Pliant SMTP server to get accounts handled using Pliant database engine so that I will be back to HTTP+FTP+SMTP+POP3 Pliant servers running (was in release 25, one year ago ... before large cleanups).