Subject: Re: Updating /etc...
To: Ted Lemon <mellon@fugue.com>
From: Greg A. Woods <woods@kuma.web.net>
List: current-users
Date: 12/22/1995 14:15:43
[ On Tue, December 19, 1995 at 11:26:33 (-0800), Ted Lemon wrote: ]
> Subject: Re: Updating /etc... 
>
> It's practically impossible to approach a strange machine and figure
> out what it does on startup.

Malarkey.  Anyone willing and capable of understanding a simple state
machine can figure it out in momemnts, esp. if they don't mind reading a
manual before they head out on their own.

> Then, you can't edit the whole startup process at once - you have to
> grep around for the daemon you're trying to control, then edit the
> file that controls it, and usually figure out the entire functioning
> of that file and then touch yet another file somewhere else to make
> the change you want.  The learning curve is obscene.

Well it's not usually that bad, though a good tour of the setup is
recommended if you're going to do such things by hand.  Of course in
more modern systems there's usually an administration tool to do these
things for you....

-- 
							Greg A. Woods

+1 416 443-1734			VE3TCP			robohack!woods
Planix, Inc. <woods@planix.com>; Secrets Of The Weird <woods@weird.com>