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Date:      Fri, 22 Jul 2011 10:56:42 +0200
From:      Polytropon <freebsd@edvax.de>
To:        FreeBSD <freebsd-questions@freebsd.org>
Subject:   Re: Lennart Poettering: BSD Isn't Relevant Anymore
Message-ID:  <20110722105642.d21067c0.freebsd@edvax.de>
In-Reply-To: <20110719085529.1671ec7f@scorpio>
References:  <20110717071059.25971662@scorpio> <CAGwOe2YpUXgFx1f_1UWHNt4S=p=X1Soa348KWR9BTrjxF0bAwA@mail.gmail.com> <4E22DFE9.7050007@pathscale.com> <201107172016.30727.lobo@bsd.com.br> <4E23989F.7010701@gmail.com> <4e242fab.s4vpgxxZEUq0LFDq%perryh@pluto.rain.com> <1311017168.44397.YahooMailRC@web36508.mail.mud.yahoo.com> <13800_1311018255_4E248D0F_13800_81_1_D9B37353831173459FDAA836D3B43499C521864F@WADPMBXV0.waddell.com> <20110718162245.0d426239@scorpio> <20110719032131.GA29635@guilt.hydra> <20110719085529.1671ec7f@scorpio>

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On Tue, 19 Jul 2011 08:55:29 -0400, Jerry wrote:
> On Mon, 18 Jul 2011 21:21:31 -0600
> Chad Perrin articulated:
> 
> > This is where we find a dividing line between users who want different
> > things.  Yes, you turn on your Win7 laptop (or wake it up) in a coffee
> > shop, and it connects automagically -- in fact, you probably don't
> > even realize it has connected.  Hopefully it connected to the coffee
> > shop's network, and not one of those occasional skimming networks that
> > masquerade as coffe shop networks and exist to harvest login data and
> > the like.  The dividing line between two schools of thought on the
> > matter in this example should be obvious.
> 
> You do realize that all of that is configurable; ie, auto connect,
> preferred network, etcetera. If you have not taken the time to read the
> documentation and properly configure the wireless app correctly then
> why bitch? I am not implying that it is perfect; however, given the
> grave limitations that FreeBSD places on wireless connections;
> specifically lack of drivers, and the inordinate amount of manual
> intervention to accomplish what Microsoft and other OSs, (does the name
> Ubuntu sound familiar) have achieved, it is readily apparent that the
> FreeBSD implementation is trailing the pack.

Want it like this? :-)   --->    http://xkcd.com/416/

But coming back on topic (partially): What's missing in
my opinion is a system-provided user land program or
script for interacting with the driver and the settings
(as well as with "templates" for automated setup). There
_are_ however tools provided by the "big ones" (the big
desktop environments KDE, Gnome, maybe Xfce, haven't
checked) to help configuring wireless adaptors. Of
course this only applies where they are supported by
the OS.

A program I could imagine would be something like the
ppp control program that other programs, typically GUI
ones, could interface with, just as gmencoder interfaces
with the incredible power of mencoder, or gmplayer adds
lots of stuff at the GUI front to the one-size-fits-all
fantastic mplayer. So all DEs or programmers who are
interested in providing a setup tool could interface
with that specific program. So they don't have to
implement "low level things" on their own or even care
for supporting particular adaptors. This tool could
also be integrated in the FreeBSD startup system, and
maybe even activated at pre-install time, so you could
install via Internet, where Internet is provided by a
wireless adaptor that got setup automatically. This
would _also_ have the advantage of providing an
abstraction layer that was OPTIONAL, and if you really
need a better implementation (from a developer's point
of view), you can still do it on your own, interfacing
with the standard system means.

Jerry, see this as an "I agree" in relation to your
statement, given the comment that wireless isn't
relevant to _me_ at the moment. :-)


-- 
Polytropon
Magdeburg, Germany
Happy FreeBSD user since 4.0
Andra moi ennepe, Mousa, ...



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