Date: Sun, 9 Dec 2001 01:41:16 -0800 (PST) From: Matthew Dillon <dillon@apollo.backplane.com> To: Jordan Hubbard <jkh@winston.freebsd.org> Cc: Bernd Walter <ticso@cicely8.cicely.de>, Garance A Drosihn <drosih@rpi.edu>, "Louis A. Mamakos" <louie@TransSys.COM>, Sheldon Hearn <sheldonh@starjuice.net>, Kirk McKusick <mckusick@beastie.mckusick.com>, freebsd-arch@FreeBSD.ORG Subject: Re: Proposed auto-sizing patch to sysinstall (was Re: Using a larger block size on large filesystems) Message-ID: <200112090941.fB99fGV36341@apollo.backplane.com> References: <50925.1007888526@winston.freebsd.org>
next in thread | previous in thread | raw e-mail | index | archive | help
Sigh. Look, the whole point of 'A'uto is to create a reasonable
setup for a layperson installing a system. It is not there to
cow-tow to a minimalist status-quo. It is there to give a layperson
a reasonable system that does not require him to screw around
with the infrastructure when he does reasonable things, like add an
account for themselves or install a bunch of ports or follow OUR
directions on how to retrieve, compile, and install system source.
That is what the option is there for and right now sysinstall doesn't
even come CLOSE to providing that. It creates partitions that are
too small. It creates relatively unsafe partitions - for example,
leaving /var/tmp on /var where /var itself is ALREADY too small for
a number of ports, including our printing mechanism and vmware. You
may be smart enough to ensure that your mail spool and /var/tmp
don't fill up and screw each other over (it can go in either direction),
but the layperson is NOT. You may be smart enough to know how to
manage /usr but the layperson is not. We can't solve every problem
in sysinstall but we can easily and trivially solve a number of them.
My patch creates a far safer default partitioning for the layperson
and, you know what? I think it creates a far better default partitioning
for many FreeBSD developers and power users as well. It is certainly
far, far, FAR superior to what sysinstall does now.
Now I've spent the time and effort to fix this, and I am getting rather
sick and tired of people trying to impose a minimalist view on
sysinstall's actions on the one hand, and a complex view on the other.
I am sick and tired of people who complain that it doesn't reflect their
view of reality. Well, guess what? IT NEVER WILL! These views are
why sysinstall's auto-partitioning has essentially been broken for
years now.
Hell, all of you have had YEARS to fix this and haven't lifted a finger.
You all have complained and argued a lot, but code? Nope! Nothing
beyond a few hacks and tweeks. And more arguing. I am fixing it.
I have fixed it. Try living with my solution for a while rather then
complaining about it, you may even grow to like it. My bet is that our
users will love it. In she goes...
-Matt
To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org
with "unsubscribe freebsd-arch" in the body of the message
Want to link to this message? Use this URL: <https://mail-archive.FreeBSD.org/cgi/mid.cgi?200112090941.fB99fGV36341>