Re: Limiting the power of packages
On 3 Oct 2018 Lars Wirzenius wrote:
> A suggestion: we restrict where packages can install files and what
maintainer scripts can do.
On 4 Oct 2018 Enrico Weigelt wrote:
> Finally, I'd really like to reduce complexity, not introduce even more.
+1
I think Linux systems per se, Debian as a runtime, the (social)
processes required from DDs/DMs, the whole technical Debian packaging
ecosystem are each plenty complex enough already. So adding more
complexity will:
* increase friction and dissipative heat production, which means less
software in Debian, less DMs/DDs, less fun, pushing mean temperatures on
earth further up
* increase the number of edge cases, increase the number of possible
interactions between different parts of the whole system, reduce the
ability of us users/DDs/DMs to reason about/understand/cope with our systems
These points above do not imply that Lars' idea is bad and should not be
pursued. Instead they IMHO should serve as a dimension to measure
Debian's/Linux' progress against and as a yard stick to measure our
solutions against:
* did the added constraint or tech reduce or increase complexity and our
ability to reason about the system?
* did the new tech enable us to throw away part of older tech that was
badly defined, complex, broken?
* did the new solution advance us toward a model that is easier to
understand?
*t
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