Date: Thu, 17 Dec 1998 15:28:28 -0700 From: Nate Williams <nate@mt.sri.com> To: Chuck Robey <chuckr@mat.net> Cc: FreeBSD-Hackers@FreeBSD.ORG Subject: Re: Fortran in the base system (was Re: sysinstall) Message-ID: <199812172228.PAA03922@mt.sri.com> In-Reply-To: <Pine.BSF.4.05.9812171711050.348-100000@picnic.mat.net> References: <199812171821.MAA19640@spawn.nectar.com> <Pine.BSF.4.05.9812171711050.348-100000@picnic.mat.net>
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> > ... One could argue that Visual Basic and Java and > > what-have-you are quite ``successful,'' but that doesn't mean that any > > of them should be part of the base FreeBSD distribution. > > > > The only languages and tools that should be part of the base FreeBSD > > distribution, IMHO, are those required to build the system. > > This kind of attitude, make things as minimal and difficult as possible, > is why Unix has such a reputation as the hardest OS on the block. I disagree. Most early releases of unix (the ones that were the most difficult to use) had *LOTS* of languages on them. The SystemIII version I have at home has about 7 of them that came with it, and more if you consider 'AWK', 'SH', and such to be languages. > Seems to me kinda strange, all the guys who know perfectly well how to > trim things down to size, all want things to be done custom for them, > and to ignore the guys who are newbies. The requirement of almost every installation to have a couple of packages installed implies that the user should know how to install them. Once they are able to install one package, the addition of a couple more makes the issue of 'base OS' vs. 'packages' a moot point. It also means that the 'base OS' is easier to install, build, and debug since it relies less on features that aren't critical to those tasks, so the developers can focus their efforts on adding new features and fixing bugs. Nate To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org with "unsubscribe freebsd-hackers" in the body of the message
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