Subject: Re: sup.netbsd.org behind firewall?
To: Rob Healey <rhealey@kas.helios.mn.org>
From: Ken Nakata <kenn@remus.rutgers.edu>
List: current-users
Date: 09/26/1995 12:42:21
Cgd wrote:
> > > > It's also had a _LOT_ of software problems -- indeed, with a few
> > > > execptions, i'd say that most of what's been dismissed as 'hardware
> > > > problems' _have_ been software bugs.
> > > > 

Then you wrote:
> > > 	Then why not beg for a replacement or donations for a replacement?
> > > 	It seems STUPID to put up with this, it's costing time for alot
> > > 	of people who have little enough free time to donate to the
> > > 	cause... B^(.

Finally I jumped in:
> > Hm?  Seems to me that cgd believes many of what were previously
> > believed to be hardware problems are actually software bugs, doesn't
> > it?  How do you "beg for a replacement or donations for a replacement"
> > of software bugs?  You mean install a commercial UNIX on sun-lamp? B^)

And you replied back:
[...]
> 	There's nothing new with sunlamp being down, it's had problems
> 	for way over a year. I find it hard to believe that it's problems
> 	are strictly software due to the knowledge of the people involved
> 	with it.

Even if the person who believes that most sun-lamp problems are due to
software bugs is "the" Chris Demetriou himself?

> 	I think it far more likely they were stuck with
> 	questionable hardware of indetermanite asian rim origin like most
> 	low cost x86 hardware...

I'm not sure about that.

> 	The point remains, most of the NetBSD work is done on a volunteer
> 	basis. If sunlamp is down than the volunteer time is spent doing
> 	other things since updates can't be made.

I didn't say anything about this.

> 	If it was a non-problem then why is the mail handled elsewhere?
> 	The web? Maybe sup should be moved to a more stable system?

I have no answer to these questions, either.

> 	A commercial OS is not the solution. Getting reliable hardware
> 	and a proper kernel config for sunlamp is.

Oh, puh-lease.  It was meant to be a joke.  "Replacements" of software
bugs by debugging is what people have been doing all the time among
other things.  What else would you offer as a "replacement" if
debugging isn't enough?  I just teased you since I thought you misread
cgd's post.  He clearly believes the mojority of sun-lamp's problems
are software bugs rather than hardware problems, and your post read
otherwise.  If you just don't share his belief, you should have said
so, and I wouldn't have jumped in in the first place.

ken n.