From owner-freebsd-chat@FreeBSD.ORG Wed Dec 12 05:36:06 2007 Return-Path: Delivered-To: freebsd-chat@freebsd.org Received: from mx1.freebsd.org (mx1.freebsd.org [IPv6:2001:4f8:fff6::34]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 1A2E716A418 for ; Wed, 12 Dec 2007 05:36:06 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from aryeh.friedman@gmail.com) Received: from py-out-1112.google.com (py-out-1112.google.com [64.233.166.183]) by mx1.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 42D9B13C448 for ; Wed, 12 Dec 2007 05:36:02 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from aryeh.friedman@gmail.com) Received: by py-out-1112.google.com with SMTP id u77so279197pyb.3 for ; Tue, 11 Dec 2007 21:36:02 -0800 (PST) DKIM-Signature: v=1; a=rsa-sha256; c=relaxed/relaxed; d=gmail.com; s=gamma; h=domainkey-signature:received:received:message-id:date:from:user-agent:mime-version:to:subject:x-enigmail-version:content-type:content-transfer-encoding; bh=PtE84uAPqTkk26trN4rVkrTLn6mOd0To9PX3DaNkol8=; b=a7/STpu1w8KHMHbtaYj7pZr9K2nmnFGDShp/YPtevZ5sdlu55f0aaXo4ByGBdYAegCSCbsTqVMlPQu4udgravu18WXLyyrPfZ32hB9kUAHjln7LbZY2eiN5h2nzRjxy9v9am0p+dPdEpmwKhpweqGrFvCuktJ42H1x1J0eD/mjY= DomainKey-Signature: a=rsa-sha1; c=nofws; d=gmail.com; s=gamma; h=message-id:date:from:user-agent:mime-version:to:subject:x-enigmail-version:content-type:content-transfer-encoding; b=R8pmbhi3i0bCyAEYx7Jxx//A2lginbSNPmX3lsOKt4RPcKwHof3KhdgRtMr2RdB++mtJhxAyIjyFnL4T9IP5aL6XM4x07sj+5xXVjefMD6acEIe1ifEPiS41hyb9jPfdjJ/jtQa4Z8NA3YBvBhHoUI12i+4STdU6uXZEYr5Uzbg= Received: by 10.65.212.3 with SMTP id o3mr611285qbq.57.1197437762008; Tue, 11 Dec 2007 21:36:02 -0800 (PST) Received: from ?192.168.2.2? ( [67.85.89.184]) by mx.google.com with ESMTPS id e16sm2188841qbe.2007.12.11.21.35.57 (version=TLSv1/SSLv3 cipher=RC4-MD5); Tue, 11 Dec 2007 21:36:01 -0800 (PST) Message-ID: <475F7332.2020501@gmail.com> Date: Wed, 12 Dec 2007 00:35:46 -0500 From: "Aryeh M. Friedman" User-Agent: Thunderbird 2.0.0.9 (X11/20071209) MIME-Version: 1.0 To: freebsd-ports@freebsd.org, "freebsd-questions@freebsd.org" , freebsd-chat@freebsd.org, freebsd-hackers@freebsd.org X-Enigmail-Version: 0.95.5 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Cc: Subject: results of ports re-engineering survey X-BeenThere: freebsd-chat@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5 Precedence: list List-Id: Non technical items related to the community List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Wed, 12 Dec 2007 05:36:06 -0000 -----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- Hash: SHA1 *PLEASE ONLY REPLY TO ME OR -PORTS@* A few disclaimers: Neither I or anyone else is asking for FreeBSD to incorparate any modifications to the current base system and/or ports collection. If and when any code is developed from this process it will be committed using normal commit and review processes. The following summary of results is based on my eyeballing of answers and should not be interpreted as being any sort of mathematically and/or scientifically valid in any manner. Number of responses: roughly 30 Summary of results: 1. Most respondents stated that both the underlaying OS and the ports collection are equally important. When a preference was shown it was for the underlaying OS in most cases. 2. On average people tend to interact with the port system once or twice a week 3. The single best aspect of the ports system according to respondents is dependency tracking when installing new ports 4. The single worst aspect of the ports system according to respondents is dependency tracking when updating or deleting existing ports 5. Most respondents would not change there answers tothe survey if they where new to FreeBSD 6. Almost all respondents would use a new system if it fixed their personal worst aspect of the current system 7. About 50% of respondents would use a new system if it broke the best aspect of the ports system but fixed the worst aspect 8. Length of FreeBSD usage: rough avr. of 8 years with roughly 3 year std. dev. 9. Prefered install method: ports 10. Usage roughly evenly spread among desktop, development and servers 11. Subsystem ratings (rough avr's): UI: 6 Constancy: 9 Dependancy tracking: 7 Record keeping: 9 Granularity: 9 12. Most users are either sysadmins and/or developers Orginial Survey: As has been hashed out in -ports@ over the last few days there is at least a need to examine weither or not the current ports system should remain as is or potentially be re-engineered in the future (estimates if and when needed vary from ASAP to 10-15 years). I have volunteered to undertake a feasibility/pilot project to examine what changes (if any) are needed in the system (for the purposes of this thread I will not venture any of my own suggestions). I have the following broad questions for people: 1. What is more important to your personal use of FreeBSD (the ports system, the underlaying OS, some other aspect)? 2. How frequently do you interact with the ports systems and what is the most common interaction you have with it? 3. What is the single best aspect of the current system? 4. What is the single worst aspect of the current system? 5. If you where a new FreeBSD user how would your answers above change? If you where brand new to UNIX how whould they change? 6. Assuming that there was no additional work on your behalf would you use a new system if it corrected your answer to number 4? 7. Same as question 6 but for your answer on question 3? 8. How long have you used FreeBSD and/or UNIX in general? 9. That is your primary use(s) for your FreeBSD machine(s) (name upto 3)? 10. Assuming there is no functional difference what is your preferred installation method for 3rd party software? 11. On a scale from 1 to 10 (10 being the best) please rate the importance of the following aspects of the ports system? a. User Interface b. Consistency of behaviors and interactions c. Accuracy in dependant port installations d. Internal record keeping e. Granularity's of the port management system 12. Please rate your personal technical skill level? -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Version: GnuPG v2.0.4 (FreeBSD) Comment: Using GnuPG with Mozilla - http://enigmail.mozdev.org iD8DBQFHX3MyzIOMjAek4JIRAqqjAJ9YlNJW9Uqa21yK+sm1IST+KmO7QACfeum+ 9rhuEkdKX6BKkFZr6WGmbDU= =jhg0 -----END PGP SIGNATURE-----