The maxim "not fixing what isn't broken", or "it it works don't mess with it" is insufficient to inform open source design, implementation and packaging decisions. Linux is a uniquely dynamic thing, the end user experience resulting from the graceful, or not, integration of capabilities provided by dozens of independent development efforts. The decisions made in this integration, which are made to address the needs of a user-base, as well as the ideals of the integrator results in an ever growing tree of Linux distributions, spins, and branches.
It is very often the case that for various Distributions, a given package will be built with different options depending on what capabilities the packagers deem both important and stable enough to offer their users. This is also true with the packages themselves. A development team may target their development efforts at specific sorts of applications, with other applications deprecated and not well supported, and less so in the future. It is certain that change will happen as other developers, then packagers, respond to all manner of changes beyond their spheres of influence. Sometimes this change will be inconvenient to end users. It may be possible for an end user to improve their situation by researching the cause of problems they encounter, bringing their findings to the attention of the developers, relaying developer comments to their distribution packagers. (in the case of Ubuntu, which is downstream of Debian, maybe it's necessary to contact Debian packagers) Then in time and with good fortune a is incorporated into their package. Another possibility is that another user has already resolved this issue and built a package included in some public package repository. For the end user: Building, installing and testing a package sufficiently that it can be used in production may be a significant undertaking, and for all but the most experienced, best done without using live email accounts as the test data set. If it is not practical to introduce a patched into the end user's package, another option would be to install a minimal VM with some Linux release that performs as desired for the subject package. Change is ongoing and inevitable. This essay intends entertain, comfort and inform those who have occasion to regret certain manifestations of change. Best Regards, Dennis Reichel On Sat, 2015-03-07 at 13:44 +0000, [email protected] wrote: > I use Ubuntu as a tool, just like I used to use Win XP. I've never > got involved with compiling my own "apps" on Ubuntu. I know that in > theory this is straightforward but I would prefer to avoid having to > do so, which is why I'm running an LTS edition. I'm old enough to > realise that, without taking the time to find out exactly what I'm > doing, this would probably be a good way to trash my system. > > There are other odd things going on with Evolution that I don't > understand. I tried deselecting Standard Plugins and the "Bayesian > Spam Filter" options in Ubuntu Software Centre. The mouse pointer > turns to a timer while the "changes are applied", but Edit/Plugins > from the Evolution menu shows nothing has changed. Making these > changes and re-starting my system makes no difference either: the > option boxes I cleared appear checked again in Ubuntu Software Centre, > so something's not right. > > I am at a loss to understand why Evolution - which has worked pretty > much perfectly ever since I moved over to Ubuntu nearly a decade ago - > should suddenly start falling over. Has the age-old engineering maxim > "if it works, don't mess with it" has been disregarded? > > > > > > > ____________________________________________________________________ > eKit - the global phonecard with more! > > Spend less on overseas calls, receive messages worldwide. > Visit http://www.ekit.com/ for details. > > > > _______________________________________________ > evolution-list mailing list > [email protected] > To change your list options or unsubscribe, visit ... > https://mail.gnome.org/mailman/listinfo/evolution-list -- Best Regards, Dennis Reichel (dennis * reichel d.t net) _______________________________________________ evolution-list mailing list [email protected] To change your list options or unsubscribe, visit ... https://mail.gnome.org/mailman/listinfo/evolution-list
