Re: ae's vi attempt on boot disks stomps on real vi symlink
On 12 May 1997, Manoj Srivastava wrote:
> Manoj> So you can install a fairly complex system as painlessly as
> Manoj> possible. Though the Debian dpkg system is by far the best package
>
> Ryan> Having vi does not fall under 'as painlessly as possible'??
>
> On the installation system, for Pete's sake? No, I think not. How
> often have you needed any editor at that stage in the first place?
every time i build a debian system....on average 5 or 6 times per month,
sometimes more.
> can you quote any example? One can just fire up dselect (actually, it
> is fired up for one) and load vi first thing that one does anyway, so
> why this vehemence?
the following are some of the steps i take to build a debian system
the after base disks have been installed:
ae ~/.bashrc # change prompt to include cwd.
source ~/.bashrc
mkdir /debian # i don't want it under /var/lib/dpkg/
ae /etc/modules # doing it by hand is more flexible
# and easier than the configure modules part of
# the installation program.
ae /etc/conf.modules # turn off appletalk and ipx to speed up ifconfig
# (not needed now with latest modutils)
ae /etc/resolv.conf # add nameserver for localnet
ae /etc/init.d/network # configure the network
/etc/init.d/network
modprobe nfs
ae /etc/fstab # add nfs entry for my debian mirror
Note that editing of the config files above takes place BEFORE the
debian archive is available, so I can't install vi manually yet.
mount /debian
dpkg -i /debian/local/kernel-image-XXXXX.deb
dpkg --set-selections </debian/local/standard_selections
dpkg -i <various_packages> # my own "manual pre-depends" :-)
dselect
having vi available earlier in the install process would make
installation a LOT easier and less hassle for me. believe it or not, but
i just don't trust so-called modeless editors. i don't want to be in
edit mode unless i take some action to cause it. I want Yank and paste.
I want multiple levels of undo. I want search and replace.
The automated install procedure is very nice (and getting better all the
time - the latest boot disks are great) but sometimes it's better to do
some things by by hand....and that needs decent tools, including vi.
> During initial install? I don't believe you. I know for a fact
> that it is not on Ultrix, Digital Unix, and HPUX untill the
> installation is completed. Never done an install, have you? How many
> of them have vi when you bring them up single user? Sheesh!
debian is not ultrix or digital or hpux.
i would hope that one of debian's aims is to be better than any of them.
> Ryan> Would you agree that vi deserves a little higher standing than
> Ryan> just some people's favorite editor?
>
> During initial install? I disagree. vi is on Debian, as soon as you
> install Debian. During installation, sorry, we have ae.
what is your objection to having vi on the base disks if room is
available? does it harm you in any way? does it prevent you from using
ae? does it take away any functionality?
> Please submit the installation disks on Incoming for peer review. We
> will be glad for your help.
by implication, the only people who are entitled to submit bug-reports
or talk about any inadequacy of a debian package are those who have the
time to repackage it themself???
craig
--
craig sanders
networking consultant Available for casual or contract
temporary autonomous zone system administration tasks.
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