From owner-freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Thu Jun 27 12:32:55 2019 Return-Path: Delivered-To: freebsd-questions@mailman.ysv.freebsd.org Received: from mx1.freebsd.org (mx1.freebsd.org [IPv6:2610:1c1:1:606c::19:1]) by mailman.ysv.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id E50C715C1AC7 for ; Thu, 27 Jun 2019 12:32:54 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from 4250.10.freebsd-questions=freebsd.org@email-od.com) Received: from s1-b0c6.socketlabs.email-od.com (s1-b0c6.socketlabs.email-od.com [142.0.176.198]) (using TLSv1.2 with cipher ECDHE-RSA-AES256-SHA384 (256/256 bits)) (Client did not present a certificate) by mx1.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTPS id ECEE2842D4 for ; Thu, 27 Jun 2019 12:32:53 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from 4250.10.freebsd-questions=freebsd.org@email-od.com) DKIM-Signature: v=1; a=rsa-sha256; d=email-od.com;i=@email-od.com;s=dkim; c=relaxed/relaxed; q=dns/txt; t=1561638774; x=1564230774; h=content-transfer-encoding:content-type:mime-version:references:in-reply-to:message-id:subject:to:from:date:x-thread-info; bh=VjOp6QyMOlNTgeez1nwjsD8cBUusDWXKDWwA6X4a+P4=; b=UL1G2vXwQTJFS5bMhl4QbA2xa6XglacKhOOoRzcnrjq7qaa0oDoBmHtxN6PT1COpuLiQXoR8iHXw5if+jo4T7BAL3tXIJIKKzUznyaru5cxEqracuZfubAC2q3NX1UpyVGEmNCnKI6ZjqFxtCVW6TTddfog26LeOmiqm4Znwei4= X-Thread-Info: NDI1MC4xMi4xYjUwMDAwMDBjOTgwYzAuZnJlZWJzZC1xdWVzdGlvbnM9ZnJlZWJzZC5vcmc= Received: from r5.us-east.aws.in.socketlabs.com (r5.us-east.aws.in.socketlabs.com [52.204.195.176]) by mxsg2.email-od.com with ESMTP(version=Tls12 cipher=Aes256 bits=256); Thu, 27 Jun 2019 08:32:42 -0400 Received: from smtp.lan.sohara.org (EMTPY [185.202.17.215]) by r5.us-east.aws.in.socketlabs.com with ESMTP(version=Tls12 cipher=Aes256 bits=256); Thu, 27 Jun 2019 08:32:42 -0400 Received: from [192.168.63.1] (helo=steve.lan.sohara.org) by smtp.lan.sohara.org with smtp (Exim 4.91 (FreeBSD)) (envelope-from ) id 1hgTZx-0004xJ-57 for freebsd-questions@freebsd.org; Thu, 27 Jun 2019 13:32:41 +0100 Date: Thu, 27 Jun 2019 13:32:41 +0100 From: Steve O'Hara-Smith To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Subject: Re: I've got a major question... Message-Id: <20190627133241.336cd6068824420a80eaccfe@sohara.org> In-Reply-To: <20190627080134.000012d6@seibercom.net> References: <20190626063443.51ad3f1b.freebsd@edvax.de> <20190627081518.9dc6f3c2.freebsd@edvax.de> <20190627091012.44fc65a7@archlinux> <20190627103701.7ea401b8@archlinux> <20190627110340.d0d87cfe.freebsd@edvax.de> <20190627113712.8a8ffbb238f478b08514cf72@sohara.org> <20190627080134.000012d6@seibercom.net> X-Mailer: Sylpheed 3.7.0 (GTK+ 2.24.32; amd64-portbld-freebsd12.0) X-Clacks-Overhead: "GNU Terry Pratchett" Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Rspamd-Queue-Id: ECEE2842D4 X-Spamd-Bar: -- Authentication-Results: mx1.freebsd.org; dkim=pass header.d=email-od.com header.s=dkim header.b=UL1G2vXw; spf=pass (mx1.freebsd.org: domain of 4250.10.freebsd-questions=freebsd.org@email-od.com designates 142.0.176.198 as permitted sender) smtp.mailfrom=4250.10.freebsd-questions=freebsd.org@email-od.com X-Spamd-Result: default: False [-2.53 / 15.00]; R_SPF_ALLOW(-0.20)[+ip4:142.0.176.0/20]; MV_CASE(0.50)[]; TO_DN_NONE(0.00)[]; RCVD_COUNT_THREE(0.00)[4]; DKIM_TRACE(0.00)[email-od.com:+]; MX_GOOD(-0.01)[cached: mxbh.socketlabs.com]; NEURAL_HAM_SHORT(-0.31)[-0.310,0]; FORGED_SENDER(0.00)[steve@sohara.org,4250.10.freebsd-questions=freebsd.org@email-od.com]; IP_SCORE(-0.21)[ip: (-0.56), ipnet: 142.0.176.0/22(-0.26), asn: 7381(-0.19), country: US(-0.06)]; MIME_TRACE(0.00)[0:+]; ASN(0.00)[asn:7381, ipnet:142.0.176.0/22, country:US]; RCVD_TLS_LAST(0.00)[]; FROM_NEQ_ENVFROM(0.00)[steve@sohara.org,4250.10.freebsd-questions=freebsd.org@email-od.com]; ARC_NA(0.00)[]; NEURAL_HAM_MEDIUM(-1.00)[-0.998,0]; R_DKIM_ALLOW(-0.20)[email-od.com:s=dkim]; MID_RHS_MATCH_FROM(0.00)[]; FROM_HAS_DN(0.00)[]; TO_MATCH_ENVRCPT_ALL(0.00)[]; NEURAL_HAM_LONG(-1.00)[-1.000,0]; MIME_GOOD(-0.10)[text/plain]; DMARC_NA(0.00)[sohara.org]; FORGED_SENDER_VERP_SRS(0.00)[]; RCPT_COUNT_ONE(0.00)[1]; RCVD_IN_DNSWL_NONE(0.00)[198.176.0.142.list.dnswl.org : 127.0.15.0]; ENVFROM_VERP(0.00)[] X-BeenThere: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.29 Precedence: list List-Id: User questions List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Thu, 27 Jun 2019 12:32:55 -0000 On Thu, 27 Jun 2019 08:01:34 -0400 Jerry wrote: > On Thu, 27 Jun 2019 11:37:12 +0100, Steve O'Hara-Smith stated: > >On Thu, 27 Jun 2019 11:03:40 +0200 > >Polytropon wrote: > > > >> This is especially true when you need software for a special > >> purpose. Maybe I would call them "niche software", but it is > >> actually in heavy use, like accounting, payroll, time-work > >> management, or ticketing systems. > > > > Many many years ago the approach to choosing a computer system > > went > >like this: > > > >1: Establish your requirements > >2: Find or commission software that best supports your requirements > >3: Select a platform that runs the software you selected > >4: Iterate round 2 and 3 to optimise cost/benefit > > > > These days the common approach seems to be: > > > >1: Select platform by default > >2: Accept software on offer > >3: Adjust requirements and procedures to suit software > >4: Bitch when you find yourself locked in > > I agree with all except #3 in the second set. > > sed 's/software/operating system/' Nope it's the software you accepted because it was on offer with/for the OS you got by default that means you have to adjust your procedures. > #4 is right on no matter what system you are utilizing. Avoiding lock-in is harder and requires thought and a policy of doing so from the start and accepting any limitations it imposes[2]. One implication is that all data must be stored in documented formats[1] with multiple implementations of tools available. Way back when I was learning how to design electronic things or production one principle that was strongly held was that nothing should be single-sourced, it's a good principle IMHO. [1] Openly documented isn't required provided you can obtain the documentation and the right to commission an implementation. [2] They're not really onerous but do require a willingness to not go with the flow. -- Steve O'Hara-Smith