Date: Mon, 16 Jun 1997 17:18:38 +0930 (CST) From: Michael Smith <msmith@atrad.adelaide.edu.au> To: joelh@gnu.ai.mit.edu Cc: config@freebsd.org Subject: Re: To UNIX or not to UNIX ;-). Was: PPP problems. Message-ID: <199706160748.RAA10528@genesis.atrad.adelaide.edu.au> In-Reply-To: <199706160521.BAA16712@ethanol.gnu.ai.mit.edu> from Joel Ray Holveck at "Jun 16, 97 01:21:11 am"
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Joel Ray Holveck stands accused of saying:
> get Linux. A GUI like this, to work, must be internally consistant,
> and provide a consistant interface. I want to make sure that the
> ideas we get will work before I start coding. After that, we can talk
> about the rest.
Just a point worth thinking over before you get too involved in the
details. For a configuration interface to be taken seriously across
the range of applications that FreeBSD finds itself used for, a very
open and modular design is called for. Calling it a "GUI" implies the
sacrificing of cross-system management, as well as the large number of
systems that don't have pixel-addressable displays.
> I don't have the skill... yet. I can design and code fine, but don't
> know much about X. Still, this can be remedied. By the time the
> framework is designed and planned, I think I can build up a reasonable
> level of X skill to get started on that part.
The framework was designed and planned and reached no-criticism point
in about February or so 8) X skill is an almost irrelevant attribute
to posess; what you want to be thinking about is the association of
basic configurable elements ("parameters") into related groups, and the
logical operations that make sense on a group of parameters.
Take as an example a user-level activity such as "enable POP-3
services". What fundamental actions do you have to perform to take
the system from its current (perhaps inconsistent) state to a state
consistent with "POP-3 services are enabled"? Which parameters are
involved in the transaction? What prerequisites are there? Can you
leverage the "package installation" facility to install the POP-3
server software, or should you just return an error indicating that
the user should DIT?
> Terrific. I would like to do this. People, look over the goals that
> I wrote down. Let's modify them, refine them. Then, let me know if
> you want to help, and how.
If you have the opportunity, I strongly encourage you to dig up the
discussions that took place late last year and early this year. You
will probably have to rummage a bit; I would start with the
discussions on the -config list, and backtrack through -hackers and
-chat (I believe you were involved last time as well).
If you haven't already, look at the configuration server-side prototype
at ftp://gsoft.com.au/pub/misc/juliet.tar.gz. It embodies a number of
basic principles that need to be well-refined before things grow much
further.
> joelh
--
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