UNIX admin writes: > > The big trade-off is with development time and > > support: re-using > > common components (such as Xorg and GNOME) means that > > development is > > much easier and we end up with rapid development of > > new install > > features and good, lasting support. > > Do you have a point? Yes, you do. But ask yourself, what is easier: > > - go through megabytes and megabytes of GNOME code if there's a problem with > the installer > - maintain a few (hundred) KB of "custom" code?
The former is much easier if (and when) there's nobody left who understands or cares about that custom code. What you're suggesting is precisely the sort of thinking that got us into the unenviable position we're in now. We've got tons of abandonware littering the system. It's hazardous material, and it breaks when people look at it sideways. Yes, some of it may have been badly designed, as you seem to be implying. I have no illusions, though, that we'll have armies of people granted sufficient time and materials to craft a clever custom solution. Instead, relying on reusable (and commonly used) parts to the extent practical is in my opinion a much better idea. To work our way out of the problem, we need to avoid doing the same thing yet again. It's a classic engineering trade-off between human resources and machine resources. Of course, you're always free to start you _own_ installer project and dedicate it to Saving The Bits. If there are others who agree with this view, perhaps you'll have some help. > > - It'd be custom stuff, so nobody would know how to > > write to it. > > Bugs would be inevitable. > > If the documentation was really good, I do not believe that would be an issue. > Just because some code is "custom", that doesn't necessarily imply that it's > bad. It sounds like you've never had to maintain this sort of cruft over time. > Apropos working on the "Caiman" project, I just might. This is directly > related to how much spare time I'm going to have, nothing more, nothing less. Please do. Complaining from the sidelines because you feel your needs aren't being addressed -- worse, doing so on an unrelated mailing list -- is rarely effective. -- James Carlson, Solaris Networking <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sun Microsystems / 1 Network Drive 71.232W Vox +1 781 442 2084 MS UBUR02-212 / Burlington MA 01803-2757 42.496N Fax +1 781 442 1677 _______________________________________________ opensolaris-discuss mailing list [email protected]
