Re: [desktop] Unix configuration nightmare

[Steve Kemp <skx@tardis.ed.ac.uk>]

On Tue, Oct 22, 2002 at 09:05:10AM +0100, Mark Howard wrote:

> So, questions:
> - do you think this should be a (long term) aim of debian-desktop?
> - do we simply try to merge all the current systems, or try to build
> something new? (please think feasibility, not just ideals)
> - who's interested in helping?

  I suspect it would be a hard idea to sell it to upstream in many 
 cases.  There exist libraries, such as gconf, which can be used for
 reading configuration files - however many people ignore these and
 prefer to write their own ad-hoc code.

  If you got to upstream and say 'hey this patch makes the software
 fit in well with Debian - but adds an extra dependancy elsewhere' I
 suspect they'd not be interested.


  I'd love it to be the case that we could have a single, unified, 
 configuration system (a la debconf) if it does look like there's any\
 interest I'd certainly volunteer to help out.

Steve
---
www.steve.org.uk