Date: Sun, 27 Jun 1999 12:23:33 -0700 From: Doug <Doug@gorean.org> To: Mike Smith <mike@smith.net.au> Cc: Ben Rosengart <ben@skunk.org>, freebsd-current@freebsd.org Subject: /etc/defaults (Was: Re: Out of file descriptors ??) Message-ID: <37767A35.6D9B1751@gorean.org> References: <199906262321.QAA00428@dingo.cdrom.com>
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Mike Smith wrote: > Someone else wrote: > > I am not fond of the new defaults/rc.conf system. Used to be when I > > wanted to modify something in rc.conf, I opened it up and changed the > > value. Now I have to extract a line from defaults/rc.conf, put it in > > rc.conf, and change it -- unless I don't understand the new setup > > correctly. That makes more work for me, not less. What's the idea > > here? > > Separation between the default initialisation values for parameters, > and the actual values of parameters that specifically apply to your > system. > > With only one file, you have no way of adding new (default) parameter > values without forcing the user to manually merge the two. So now instead of requiring user intervention (and implicitly, observation) to implement new knobs we just slide them in unnoticed. Also, there is now no way to know if the syntax for a certain command that you have safely tucked away in /etc/rc.conf.local has changed, unless you manually look at the diff. Yes, I know that's rare, but it DOES happen. > The minor extra amount of work in the short term is greatly offset in > the long term. Try merging your local changes from a 2.2.x rc.conf > with a new 3.x vintage rc.conf to see what I mean. What you're describing is a one time operation, and something that is going to require manual merging no matter what you do. The only difference is that now it requires merging of 3 files instead of 2. The only people benefitted by /etc/defaults are the developers who upgrade very often and are not willing to run mergemaster to upgrade their /etc. It does not benefit the normal user at all, and in fact it penalizes them, as has been expressed here often since the new system was established. But then again, we all know that freebsd is FOR the developers, so us users just have to grin and bear it... or just 'mv /etc/defaults/rc.conf /etc' :) Doug To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org with "unsubscribe freebsd-current" in the body of the message
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