Date: Sun, 30 May 1999 17:13:53 -0500 (CDT) From: Kevin Day <toasty@home.dragondata.com> To: mike@smith.net.au (Mike Smith) Cc: loopd@best.com, hackers@FreeBSD.ORG Subject: Re: Kernel config script Message-ID: <199905302213.RAA05198@home.dragondata.com> In-Reply-To: <199905302142.OAA12021@dingo.cdrom.com> from Mike Smith at "May 30, 1999 2:42:33 pm"
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> > Perhaps this is the wrong list to post this question, but has there been
> > any work done on a script (similar to what Slackware Linux uses) that
> > asks the user questions ("Do you want to run SCO binaries", etc) and
> > configures a kernel conf file for them?
> >
> > If not, I'll volunteer to write one...
>
> Not useful; there's a single-line edit in /etc/rc.conf that does
> everything that's required.
>
I think what he's getting at is something like this discussion I had, trying
to convert someone from linux to freebsd.
Him: ... and the kernel configuration is horrible, you have to open up this
LINT file and your kernel config file, and keep switching back and
forth between the two, to make any sense out of the options.
Me: But once you know the options, being able to have a config file you can
just move around rather than playing 20,000 questions is much faster.
Him: Fine, but give me the 20,000 questions so the first few times I do it,
I know what the options mean, that should dump out a config file, that
is commented.
I think his arguements have a bit of merit, but are about two different
problems.
1) The kernel config options are only documented in LINT, which really isn't
meant for that sorta thing, and I'll admit, they're not documented well.
(contrast linux's config where you can hit ? and get a few paragraphs of
info for each option, such as "If I leave this in, and don't have the
hardware, will it cause problems?" etc...)
2) It's not the most graceful system for newbies, switching between two
files in a text editor is a bit much for some folks.
I personally like the system they way it is, but I didn't like it when i
first started. Something akin to the 'visual' mode in userconfig that you
can use if you need to, but it's not strictly necessary for more experienced
people?
Kevin
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