Re: miscutils snag/questions for all

[bruce@Pixar.com (Bruce Perens)]

> Do we really want
> programs like fdisk to evolve differently in different distributions?

Fdisk is a special issue. There is a new fdisk 3.0 which was distributed
separately. It is a command line program and we need to write a front
end for it.

> If the answer is 'yes', then I would like to have an fdisk program 
> that works like the one that comes with DOS.  Then everyone would know
> what to do with it.  :)

Please download the fdisk 3 from sunsite. If you want to make a DOS-like
front end, it would not be too difficult.

> But seriously, what's the best way to deal with linux-specific
> utilities?  Are we content to let Debian diverge onto its own path?

We should encourage authors to package their programs individually rather
than dump them on Rik. Sometimes, we're going to have to make judgement
calls.

> but right away we got dangerously close to a religious war about
> how Linux distributions "should be".

Ugh. We're not all pulling toward a common goal, the way we should be,
because we're too busy arguing about implementation. It's unavoidable,
I fear.

	Thanks

	Bruce
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