Re: "Do you want to mount the drive, 'cancel' or 'allow'?"

[Ian Jackson <ijackson@chiark.greenend.org.uk>]

Norbert Preining writes ("Re: "Do you want to mount the drive, 'cancel' or 'allow'?""):
> On Tue, 22 Sep 2015, Ian Jackson wrote:
> > If you don't like systemd or policykit, why are you running them ?
> 
> There is and remains the problem that the current situation and 
> working is not properly documented, nor can it be deduced from reading
> config files under /etc, which was the case before the switch.
> 
> Before deriding people who have problems, we as DDs should accept that
> what we ship now as default works in many cases, but when it does
> *NOT* work, the user is in a very bad situation - as the system is
> undocumented and intransparent and without documentation accessible
> in an acceptable way.

There are a range of possible responses to this kind of situation:

 1. One could conclude that the defaults are unsuitable for most users
    and argue that they should be changed.  But, we all of us have a
    responsibility to respect the decisions we have collectively made
    as a project, in some cases with our last ditch governance
    processes.  Reopening such debates is not constructive or helpful,
    even if we still disagree with them.

 2. One could conclude that it is too hard or too complex for users to
    choose non-default configurations.  If you think this is the case
    then there are a lot of practical things which could be done:
      - The information on the wiki could be improved
      - Alternative unofficial installer images could be provided
      - It could be make easier to make lightweight derivatives of
        Debian (this is something I myself am keen on)
      - You could work on alternative setups in existing Debian
        derivatives.  (There is nothing wrong with being a DD and
        also, or even primarily, using and working on a derivative.)
      - Insert your idea here.

 3. One could conclude that the default mechanisms need to be better
    documented or more transparent and configurable.  I don't know
    whether the Debian maintainers of the relevant pieces would
    welcome efforts to improve these things, but a _friendly_ and
    _respectful_ approach would be the way to start.  Again, of
    course, anyone can edit the wiki.

None of these things involve ranting on mailing lists.  Ranting on
mailing lists about how awful modern pointyclicky integration stuff is
is pointless.

It may make you feel better, but it makes the atmosphere in the lists
worse.  It discourages the very people who might be able to help
improve the things you are complaining about.  And it does nothing to
help any of the people who agree with you, or the users who are
affected by the problems you percieve.

Please save your rants for when you are in the bar with your friends.

Ian.