Re: Re: RFC: Making mail-transport-agent Priority: optional
* Josh Triplett <josh@joshtriplett.org> [111013 22:42]:
> > Then deinstall it.
>
> Every point you just stated applies equally well to every daemon we
> don't install by default; you haven't given any reason why an MTA needs
> to exist by default.
Those points are only there to make clear that your counter-arguments
(to which they were the answer) are no arguments in my eyes at all.
> > Please note that an MTA perfectly fits into the
> > 'If the expectation is that an experienced Unix person who found it
> > missing would say "What on earth is going on, where is foo?", it must
> > be an important package.' criterion. So only having priority standard
> > is already a compromise (and I guess historically due to there being
> > alternative implementations).
>
> Given the prevalence of LAMP, quite a few people might say "What on
> earth is going on, where is mysql?".
That why it says "an experiences Unix person". No experienced Unix
person will find it suprising to not have a mysql server installed by
default. Every one experienced will consider not having one special.
(An experienced one will know that you do not necessarily need one and
which services will no longer be able to contact the user, but they
will recognize it as "special"):
> More seriously, "what on earth is going on, where is foo?" applies quite
> well to things like ps, a pager, an editor, and many other things
> hard-wired into people's command-line finger memory.
Ang guess what is installed by default?
> Why does an MTA
> fall in that category? Remembering the good old days of multiuser
> systems with vibrant local mail conversations will not bring them back.
Local mail may no longer be the default for non-system mails. But that
does not change that the majority of daemons currently running was
written in a time where mail was a given. Cron uses it, some mail spoolers
use it to notify users, syslog servers used it if they could not write
logfiles, sudo can write mails (am not sure if it is still on by
default) and so on...
Bernhard R. Link
P.S: Please not not CC me.
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