> the thing still is that he really has to know what hes doing > and linux will hopefully never be a moron's operating system
Which 'Linux' do you mean? I'm perfectly comfortable with the existence of click-and-go versions of Linux, as long as I still can configure my stuff by hand in /etc. Given the large range of audiences that Linux even today spans, it should be possible to add a version that non-programmers can use effortlessly, without corrupting the modular and scalable Linux spirit. > one of the things i love about daemons is the fact they arent > just shipped finished products > and that people can add and remove features while the product > is being worked on and everything is a work in progress... The problem is that some applications are not providing a more or less stand-alone function, but have to rely on various other applications/components that are already complex by themselves. Applications in the daemon class are typically well-defined and self-contained. Applications in the interactive multi-media class typically are not. I agree with the author of the article that a package is not truly installed unless it is up and running. Not all Gentoo packages meet that requirement. Some are straightforward to configure, and some are just damn hard to get going. As an example, it is somewhat silly that you are advised to _disable_ pcmcia support in the kernel when you want to install pcmcia-cs. I can understand why a lay person finds that confusing. Coming back to Gentoo, perhaps it is possible to create more high-level virtual packages (such as gnome) that bundle together a set of packages (such as everything needed to run MythTV), and include a post-install script that configures everything as required. That way the smart linux-savvy people can help out the 'morons'. Gentoo is about capturing the knowledge on how to configure and install packages in ebuilds, so why not take that one step further. Gwendolyn. -- [EMAIL PROTECTED] mailing list
