David Boyes wrote:
We're just starting from different assumptions, I guess. I have no problems working on a TTY linemode console, because that's what I assume the lowest common denominator is, and I rarely use or need the setup tools. It's a PITA, but then it's only a problem long enough to get a network adapter temporarily configured and working. *Then* I do the permanent fix -- preferably from someplace warmer than the machine room and from a real VDT with cursor motion.
I'm glad this works for you. I can do that to, if I want to continue being the handful that can support the box. I honestly recognize your points and see the validity in them, but anything short of what I'm asking for will continue to leave us 5 SA's as the only SA's for this platform. My average Unix SA's around me expect to be able to use vi, and most of them have no clue what to do without it. As for manually doing the ifconfig, fine and dandy, as long as they can get to the man page for it. They're use to Solaris and HP, they aren't going to know the linux syntax and device names without a reference... which at home in the middle of the night on-call they won't have readily. So my assumptions of what makes an adequate terminal console is one where the SA's can do just about everything they'll want to from right there. Edit files with vi, ping a host and control-c out of it, bash and ksh shell history navigation keys, the TUI form of Yast, etc etc. Without that, it won't get adopted by the rest of Unixdom, at least not here. Most of these admins have never seen a mainframe, let alone have any idea how to deal with one. It's not just that they want to be ignorant, there's also the cost of training them to do something differently. They need to be able to do console work the way they always have, simple as that. I know this must sound like a bunch of useless whining to those of you at home with the way things are now, and it's why most of this goes unsaid for so very very long. But if we ever want the average Unix admin to be able to work on these boxes comfortably, they need a console that is familiar. While my whining is partially motivated by my own dislike of 3270, it's mostly motivated by the huge wall it has made for my fellow workers. "Sure, I'd love to work on Linux," they say... until they see the console, "No thanks, Brandon." And with management not willing to force them to take training because it costs... we end up with the same few old folks supporting it. I can't be the only shop that has this problem, can I? ---------------------------------------------------------------------- For LINUX-390 subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the message: INFO LINUX-390 or visit http://www.marist.edu/htbin/wlvindex?LINUX-390
