System Configuration [Was: Changing IP Addresses]

[Brian Densmore]

Tony, 
   I'd like to discuss this. There may be a way to incorporate this
into the new distro.

Brian

PS. I won't be able to make tonight's meeting. The power outages have
caused
some rescheduling of my activities. :'(

I almost have the linuxfromscratch installed. Had a minor problem
building
the first compiler (somehow I did build a good makefile the 1st time).
Only
35 packages to go!

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Tony Hammitt [mailto:thammitt at kc.rr.com]
> Sent: Tuesday, February 05, 2002 6:14 PM
> Cc: kclug at kclug.org
> Subject: System Configuration [Was: Changing IP Addresses]
> 
> 
> OK, so what it comes down to is that we need to start using
> something like XML with validators for all of the system and
> application configuration files.  We need a universal standard
> way of storing and updating information.  Unfortunately, this
> would be an incredible, major effort to get started.  Also, XML
> itself isn't really perfect for the task since commenting is a
> pain and the validation engine would need updated to be useful
> when there is no network.
> 
> But it would allow us to define a set of acceptable values for
> the configuration parameters, validate that they make sense as
> a set and provide an easy way to add functionality without
> breaking the old config files or programs.
> 
> So, maybe it would take a few years to get it all working, but
> then those of us who like hand-editing files can do so and
> those GUI config tool fans could have a consistent interface. 
> What I like best about the idea is that the config files would
> all be in the same format, so people wouldn't have to learn to
> read each file format, like they do now.
> 
> Unfortunately, the whole scheme is going to seem too much like
> the awful windoze registry for some people to accept.  (As if
> _everything_ about M$ is terrible, not just 99.97% of it :).
> 
> That's what I'd do about the problem.  Heck, that's what I DID
> about the problem for my code.  I have a configuration file
> library I use for several projects.  It's LGPL if anyone is
> interested, I still have to write the validator and some other
> features, but it won't be hard.  Let me know...
> 
> Regards,
> 
> 	Tony
> 
> Jonathan Hutchins wrote:
> > 
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "Joshua Bergland" <kclug at mrj412.com>
> > 
> > > I just don't buy the argument that making Linux user friendly will
> > > hinder the OS.
> > 
> > I wouldn't buy or make that argument either.  However, 
> "user friendly" and
> > "Microsoft Copycat" are not equivalent terms.  GUI tools 
> are nice, and
> > they're a good step toward making Linux more accessible to 
> the average
> > user - especially average users who have never known an 
> environment prior to
> > Windows95 where configuration by command line was assumed.
> > 
> > However, those tools should work _with_ standard 
> configuration files, not
> > strike out on their own and overwrite configurations from 
> the standard text
> > files - as linuxconf definitely does.  They should work in 
> a way that helps
> > the user see what's going on in the configuration, and 
> possibly offer direct
> > access to the configuration files themselves - but not 
> without showing
> > exactly where that information is being stored.  (This is 
> one of the major
> > pains in the Microsoft world - you can't ever be sure a program is
> > completely uninstalled, because it leaves fewmets all over 
> the operating
> > system.  Likely as not, a re-install will miraculously 
> recover the settings
> > you made in the original, even if those settings cause the 
> program to
> > crash.)
> > 
> > > Unless things change, I can't forsee Linux ever 
> pentrating the desktop
> > > market. Of course, this may not be a goal of Linux either...
> > 
> > Since Linux, in and of itself, is not a market competitor but more a
> > philosophy and a development model, I find debate about 
> "market share"
> > pretty obtuse.  I know what you mean, but I'm not overly 
> worried about "our
> > side winning".
> > 
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