Date: Wed, 14 May 1997 16:23:02 -0400 From: "Donald J. Maddox" <root@cola77.scsn.net> To: questions@FreeBSD.ORG Subject: Re: FreeBSD 2.1.7 and COMPAT_43 -Reply Message-ID: <19970514162302.54539@cola77.scsn.net> In-Reply-To: <199705141338.IAA00697@beowulf.utmb.edu>; from M. L. Dodson on Wed, May 14, 1997 at 08:38:49AM -0500 References: <199705141338.IAA00697@beowulf.utmb.edu>
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On Wed, May 14, 1997 at 08:38:49AM -0500, M. L. Dodson wrote:
> > I'm afraid there's another point overlooked here. Options like INET and
> > even device npx0 are part of a great(?) BSD heritage. I guess INET was
> > in BSD kernel configs long before FreeBSD was born.
> >
>
> This is the real reason, I would think. Remember that BSD was originally
> written by the CSRG: Computer Science RESEARCH Group at Berkeley. Options,
> which for most people are not really optional, ;-), may be optional in a
> research environment. Besides, all the books I have ever read on BSD
> system administration make a point of the "nonoptional" options. We
> already get enough complaints that there are no books about BSD (even
> though there are). Why invalidate the discussion of kernel configuration
> in these books by leaving these "options" out?
>
> > On the other hand, it *is* confusing for a newbie to configure a FreeBSD
> > kernel. I think it would be better to just be able to mark to config
> > that some configurations are dangerous, so when config-ing a kernel
> > missing something important it will give a warning such as:
> >
> > ***WARNING***
> > You are missing the 'INET' option.
> > The configured kernel may not be bootable
> >
> > Even WinNT gives this sort of warning when you disable, say, a SCSI
> > device driver (of fear that it is the controller for the boot disk).
> >
> > I think this will leave us with the freedom to hack, the standard BSD
> > options in the kernel, and will scare off curious newbies from removing
> > important options.
>
> I wouldn't mind this, although I don't see this as a big issue.
>
> > Now all that's left is to hack config ;-)
>
> If you feel the need.
I can see that this is about to turn into one of those 'BSD-tradition vs.
common sense' debates, and I have no desire to participate in that; common
sense cannot win because the traditionalists never relent, and without
consensus, the status quo remains just that.
Meanwhile, WindowsNT's market share continues to climb, supplanting what
*might* have been FreeBSD market share... Too bad for us that they aren't
saddled with a 'traditional' steep learning curve...
--
Donald J. Maddox
(dmaddox@scsn.net)
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