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Date:      Tue, 08 Oct 2013 13:29:06 -0700
From:      Cy Schubert <Cy.Schubert@komquats.com>
To:        Alfred Perlstein <bright@mu.org>
Cc:        freebsd-current@freebsd.org
Subject:   Re: rcs
Message-ID:  <201310082029.r98KT6MQ058038@slippy.cwsent.com>
In-Reply-To: Message from Alfred Perlstein <bright@mu.org> of "Tue, 08 Oct 2013 08:20:22 -0700." <525422B6.9040906@mu.org>

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In message <525422B6.9040906@mu.org>, Alfred Perlstein writes:
> On 10/8/13 8:04 AM, sthaug@nethelp.no wrote:
> >>> I think the fact is that most direct users of RCS use it in a very
> >>> simple way, and
> >>> it works just fine for that.  with no real need for any updates or any
> >>> change.
> >> With all due respect Julian, The more we discuss this more this really
> >> points to the problem that FreeBSD appears to be a challenge to install
> >> packages into such that a package moving out of base is such a big deal.
> >>
> >> Can we fix that instead?
> >>
> >> I mean, this change should really not be a big deal, but yet it is and
> >> this speaks to the core of FreeBSD utility.
> > Not commenting on RCS here, but on the concept of moving packages out
> > of the base:
> >
> > - For some of us, the attraction of FreeBSD is that it is a tightly
> > integrated system, and the base contains enough useful functionality
> > that we don't *have* to add a lot of packages.
> >
> > - Each package that is moved out of the base system means less useful
> > functionality in the base system - and for me: Less reason to use
> > FreeBSD instead of Linux.
> >
> > I absolutely see the problem of maintaining out-of-date packages in
> > the base system, and the desirability of making the base system less
> > reliant on GPL. I'm mostly troubled by the fact that there seems to
> > be a rather strong tendency the last few years of having steadily
> > less functionality in the base system - and I'm not at all convinced
> > that the right balance has been found here.
> >
> > This discussion is not new, and I don't expect to convince any new
> > persons...
> >
> >
> I'm sure other devs will disagree, but with ~15 years of FreeBSD 
> experience and ~13 years as a dev, my very strong opinion is that this 
> tightly coupled system is actually a boat anchor sinking us.
> 
> Just because no one else does it a certain way, does not mean that a 
> unique way of doing something is correct and/or sustainable.  Maybe in 
> 1995, 1999, or 2005 even, but not today.  Especially in the context of 
> add-on tools like rcs.
> 
> What we need to discuss is lowering the bar to making custom installs.
> 
> I personally find that installing FreeBSD is useless until I install 
> "screen, zsh, vim-lite, git" why is that so manual for me?  Why can't I 
> just register a package set somewhere so that all I have to type in is 
> "alfred.perlstein.devel" into a box during the installer and I get all 
> my packages by default?

A Red Hat-like kickstart or Solaris jumpstart possibly? 


-- 
Cheers,
Cy Schubert <Cy.Schubert@komquats.com>
FreeBSD UNIX:  <cy@FreeBSD.org>   Web:  http://www.FreeBSD.org





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