From owner-svn-src-head@FreeBSD.ORG Fri Jan 2 23:08:02 2009 Return-Path: Delivered-To: svn-src-head@FreeBSD.org Received: from mx1.freebsd.org (mx1.freebsd.org [IPv6:2001:4f8:fff6::34]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id BD0A41065674 for ; Fri, 2 Jan 2009 23:08:02 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from dougb@FreeBSD.org) Received: from mail2.fluidhosting.com (mx22.fluidhosting.com [204.14.89.5]) by mx1.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 6238C8FC1A for ; Fri, 2 Jan 2009 23:07:57 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from dougb@FreeBSD.org) Received: (qmail 9745 invoked by uid 399); 2 Jan 2009 23:07:56 -0000 Received: from localhost (HELO lap.dougb.net) (dougb@dougbarton.us@127.0.0.1) by localhost with ESMTPAM; 2 Jan 2009 23:07:56 -0000 X-Originating-IP: 127.0.0.1 X-Sender: dougb@dougbarton.us Message-ID: <495E9E4B.8030905@FreeBSD.org> Date: Fri, 02 Jan 2009 15:07:55 -0800 From: Doug Barton Organization: http://www.FreeBSD.org/ User-Agent: Thunderbird 2.0.0.18 (X11/20081128) MIME-Version: 1.0 To: Garrett Wollman References: <200901011055.n01AtQaN052763@svn.freebsd.org> <495DB15B.8040908@FreeBSD.org> <495DB9B6.4030801@FreeBSD.org> <495DC5AF.3050908@FreeBSD.org> <495E91F8.3010706@FreeBSD.org> <18782.37537.775290.682466@hergotha.csail.mit.edu> In-Reply-To: <18782.37537.775290.682466@hergotha.csail.mit.edu> X-Enigmail-Version: 0.95.7 OpenPGP: id=D5B2F0FB Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Cc: svn-src-head@FreeBSD.org, svn-src-all@FreeBSD.org, src-committers@FreeBSD.org Subject: Re: svn: head/usr.sbin/mergemaster X-BeenThere: svn-src-head@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5 Precedence: list List-Id: SVN commit messages for the src tree for head/-current List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Fri, 02 Jan 2009 23:08:03 -0000 Garrett Wollman wrote: > < said: > >> As I said in my first post, if there is overwhelming demand for this >> down the road that is not met by the existing solutions I'll consider >> adding a better implementation as an option, off by default. > > It would be much better if the options that *nearly every user will > want to use* are set correctly by default. 1. Past experience indicates that your average _developer_ is not very good at estimating what the average _user_ will want as the default. 2. The needs of developers are considerably different than the needs of the average user. 3. Many "power user" options have been added over the years, but they are just that, options. 4. I have said literally from day 1 that mergemaster should not ever change a file on a user's system without them taking an affirmative step for it to do so. Whether you agree with that idea or not, it is an expectation that I do not want to mess with. > I have to look at the man > page every time I update a system to remind myself what is that magic > option that makes mergemaster do the right thing with files I haven't > changed. Given the number of help requests I get for mergemaster that are already answered in the man page, I do not regard this as all that big of a problem. :) But seriously folks, have you read all the way down to the part about the ability to use an rc file to store your commonly used options? Doug -- This .signature sanitized for your protection