Date: Thu, 5 Jul 2012 11:28:36 +0100 From: Chris Rees <utisoft@gmail.com> To: Jonathan McKeown <j.mckeown@ru.ac.za> Cc: freebsd-hackers@freebsd.org Subject: Re: Training wheels for commandline (was Re: Pull in upstream before 9.1 code freeze?) Message-ID: <CADLo83_Br6qM1sKu_rWbhExveYiQs4ZWJVNozwZzb%2BDB=PMvsg@mail.gmail.com> In-Reply-To: <201207051215.44799.j.mckeown@ru.ac.za> References: <CA%2BQLa9B-Dm-=hQCrbEgyfO4sKZ5aG72_PEFF9nLhyoy4GRCGrA@mail.gmail.com> <20120705082857.GB37083@server.rulingia.com> <4FF55864.8040807@FreeBSD.org> <201207051215.44799.j.mckeown@ru.ac.za>
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On Jul 5, 2012 11:16 AM, "Jonathan McKeown" <j.mckeown@ru.ac.za> wrote:
>
> On Thursday 05 July 2012 11:03:32 Doug Barton wrote:
> > On 07/05/2012 01:28, Peter Jeremy wrote:
> > > On 2012-Jul-05 09:22:25 +0200, Jonathan McKeown
> > >
> > > <j.mckeown@ru.ac.za> wrote:
> > >> As for the idea that Linux refugees need extra help to migrate,
> > >> that's the sort of thinking that led to things like:
> > >>
> > >> alias dir=ls
> > >
> > > Whilst we're on the subject, can we please also have #define BEGIN
> > > { #define END } wired into gcc to help people migrating from Algol
> > > and Pascal.
> >
> > Um, this kind of elitist crap really isn't helpful.
>
> It was intended to be a slightly humorous response to your original
question:
>
> > why would you *not* want a feature that tells you what to
> > install if you type a command that doesn't exist on the system?
>
> rather than ``elitist crap'' (as was the deliberately the over-the-top
> comparison to Clippy). I don't think suggesting that someone who wants to
use
> a system learn how it works is elitist; and I don't object to optional
tools
> to help them ``settle in'' (but see below).
>
> You might also notice that I made a suggestion that might help people
> migrating - namely some adaptation of the Unix Rosetta Stone in the
Handbook
> so that people who know how to do something in Linux are quickly guided to
> the best way to do it in FreeBSD (and perhaps vice versa).
>
> > If the new feature gets created, and you don't want to use it, turn it
> > off. No problem.
>
> No. I think this is entirely the wrong way round. If the new feature is
> created and you want it, turn it on. Don't make me turn off something I
> didn't want in the first place. Given the choice between a system in
which I
> switch on whatever I need, versus one which has absolutely everything
> switched on where I spend ages switching it all off/deinstalling it all, I
> know which I prefer - and others have made similar comments.
That's crazy- this is the logic that led to our sh having tab completion
and history disabled by default for years. How many people honestly knew
it was there? The people who would benefit from this feature are the ones
who wouldn't know it was there.
Chris
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