Re: Idea: mount /tmp to tmpfs depending on free space and RAM
Salvo Tomaselli <tiposchi@tiscali.it> writes:
>> >But does the default have to be maximised for the dumbest possible user?
>> >Or should the default rather be for the intelligent user doing the right
>> >things?
>>
>> But the intelligent user can change the default hisself, the dumbest
>> canâ??t. And Debian does allow the inexperienced user to install his
>> system.
>
> Sometimes people are intelligent but that doesn't mean that they are willing
> to spend days just to fix these problems, maybe being intelligent doesn't make
> you interested in learning obscure switches for debian. (and knowing these
> doesn't make one intelligent).
>
> So it's not about stupid users, it's about having a configuration that works
> by default, without requiring people to go throu mailing lists to learn what
> they need to install debian and have it working.
I agree with your argument but not your conclusion.
I think the focus should be more on intelligent users and to get
new/dumb users to become intelltigent. So the argument that intelligent
users can change the default is besides the point. They shouldn't have
to.
Also I'm too unwilling to spend days just to fix the stupid
partitioning. The default should be good enough for almost everyone. And
I have to argue that that means LVM with a few volumes. At least root,
swap, var and home. And leave plenty of free space so filesystems can be
easily grown as needed.
It will never be possible to have one default partitioning that will
perfectly suite everyone. So instead the goal should be to have a
flexible starting point that makes it easy to make it fit the users
needs, esspecially after the installation when a new user actually
figures out what is needed.
You say configuring the size of tmp is too hard because it is such a
black box thing you need days to figure it out. So why not focus on
making it easier? I already suggested that packages that need large
space in /tmp should check the size on install and point to a relevant
file documenting how to set the size for tmp better.
I would even go further and say that DI should figure out the initial
size/type for /tmp (and swap if tmpfs is used) based on the hardware and
packages it is going to install. Why shouldn't the default partitioning
differ for a desktop system and a mailserver? Isn't the partitioning
before knowing what will be installed later backward?
MfG
Goswin
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