Date: 17 Dec 1998 12:27:01 +0100 From: Benedikt Stockebrand <bs_13944_50491@adimus.de> To: hackers@FreeBSD.ORG Subject: Minimal base systems (was Re: Fortran in the base system (was Re: sysinstall)) Message-ID: <sa7n24nqa9m.fsf@adimus.de> In-Reply-To: Chuck Robey's message of "Wed, 16 Dec 1998 15:17:05 -0500 (EST)" References: <Pine.BSF.4.05.9812161514280.348-100000@picnic.mat.net>
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Chuck Robey <chuckr@mat.net> writes:
> Steve, if you can't reply without getting personal, please take it to
> usenet.
Just like Bud Dodson you might as well blame me for getting personal
in the start. Well, at least some of the misunderstandings (apparently
I wasn't the only one to mistake Steve Kargls posting) with this issue
seem to be solved.
Anyway, from fiddling with assorted free Un*xen I've learned some
important things:
- You need a reliable, no-junk base system as a starting point for all
other work. This is where Linux with its kernel-distribution
splitup really loses (details on demand, but I don't want this to be
misunderstood as Linux-bashing).
- Changes to the base system need to be thoroughly tested. Unless
there's good reason to change things you better don't. As a
consequence it's actually better to keep old versions in the base
system.
- Things like perl5, gcc-2.8.2 (with proper c++ exception handling) or
a rdist-6.1.4 are nice to have. However, updating them in the base
system is trouble-prone so they better be added to the ports
collection, at least until they have been properly tested. And if
they're not needed for base functionality it's usually a *win* to
put them in a package/port/whatever so people can choose what
version to use---the fancy new one or the old one they've been
building their system around.
- The bigger a base system gets, the harder it is to keep it
consistent. Both inherent complexity and turnaround times
increase noticeably with every bit added to the base system.
- Admitting that ones pet toy isn't really important enough to go into
the base system is bl**dy fscking hard. Ask me about rdist...
So long,
Ben
--
Benedikt Stockebrand Adimus Beratungsgesellschaft für System-
System Administration & Design, und Netzwerkadministration mbH & Co KG
IT Security, Remote System Mgmt Universitätsstr. 142, 44799 Bochum
Opinions presented are my own. Tel. (02 34) 971 971 -2, Fax -9
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