Re: config packages [Was: rm -r * and the default prompt]
On Tue, 20 May 1997, Enrique Zanardi wrote:
> On Tue, 20 May 1997, Nicolás Lichtmaier wrote:
>
> > I think that this is the kind of thinking that is killing Debian.
> >
> > 1) Newbie setting doesn't mean annoying settings.
> > 2) `real men' like you can change those settings.
> > 3) Configuration packages is an awful idea that goes against the idea of
> > package. A better solution would be a system setting that packages would
> > check an install the apropiate default.
> > 4) We aren't building a distribution only for us.
> >
> > Let's stop being so narrow minded... We need a little of marketing... We
> > need to be known as an easy distribution for newbies...
>
> The problem with that approach is that many of those "newbie" settings
> are just a matter of taste. We don't want to set a thousand of those
> parameters in hundreths of different config files that will have to be
> edited to reset them.
Of course it's a matter of taste. But leaving everything unconfigured
it's also a matter of (bad) taste.
And the settings should be simple... I wouldn't recommend setting a
2-line prompt with date and ANSI codes as a default, even if I used
that...
> It would be easier if all those parameters could be grouped in a
> single config package. We may have a handful of those to choose
> (hint: "themes"). It may even be useful for localization!
> I don't see the reason why you don't like the idea of Config packages.
> Can you elaborate a little more on that, please?
Perhaps we need to define better what are we talking about.
I see a `config package' as a package that includes/modifies other
packages conffiles. Using packages for this is ignoring the concept of a
package. What if you remove one of these packages? What if some programs
whose files are modified are not installed? What if one of these programs
is installed _after_ the config-package? Should the config-package depend
on every progam it configures? config-packages will depend on changes in
several packages...
Maybe this requires something orthogonal to the package system. `Themes'
are possible in Windows because they have a central database for settings.
My opinion is: One of the main adtvantages of having a distribution is
that you get configured packages, so let's to provide a
great/useful/nice/easy configuration. I'd like to have LESSOPEN configured
for me when I install a distribution.
--
Nicolás Lichtmaier.-
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