Re: Why is Desktop NetBSD a threat to NetBSD?

[David Brownlee <abs%NetBSD.org@localhost>]

        I'd be curious to find out people's response to the following
        question:

        If changes were made to NetBSD and pkgsrc to better provide
        an install option for a fully featured desktop system, and
        they did not affect your use or experience of NetBSD (apart
        from additional questions in the installer), do you have
        any objections?

        If your answer is yes, then there is a philosophical difference
        with those making the changes which is going to be hard to resolve.

        If your concern is with the changes themselves impacting
        your existing and future NetBSD experience, then I completely
        understand - please take a look at the Desktop Project pages
        http://wiki.netbsd.se/Desktop_Project (Particularly Phase1)
        and identify the individual issues.

        For reference the currnt top tasks, and my thoughts on them:

        a) Create a desktop package that installs GNOME and commonly
           used applications.
        b) Create a package that applies NetBSD branding and tweaks to GNOME

           There are already a selection of meta-pkgs in pkgsrc,
           such as gnome, which I do not use. I don't see how adding
           more will be an issue.

        c) Combined distribution to install desktop, branding and sudoers

           As an option in the installer that I can ignore? Works for me.

        d) The default installation should be targeted at a user
           doing a desktop installation on a modern PC with a single
           large (>50GB) disk and plenty of RAM.

           Mainly changes to sysinst to ask about installing the
           desktop, autoconfiguring X11, creating a user account,
           enabling dhcp client on installed system if it was used
           during install, hiding some questions under 'expert'
           install option. Defaulting ksh command line completion on.
           I see no problems here.

        e) OS branding, x86 only

           Pretty boot screen and progress bar. Aha - now this I would
           turn off, and I would hope the 'expert' install choice would
           default it to off.

        f) Autotune shmmaxpgs to a resonable default. Currently it is
           far too small.

           You mean I won't have to compile a custom kernel to get a usable
           postgres installation or be able to play video on a desktop box?
           Horrors.

        g) track and fix desktop critical bugs

           Such as not crash if a mounted USB device is detached. I defy
           anyone to say this is a bad thing.

        i) add essential tools into system base

           Talks about adding a basic text html browser and possibly screen
           or tmux into the base. I would prefer to see screen left in pkgsrc,
           though I could go either way on a text html browser in base...

        j) add real support for modular xorg

           Fixing the pkgsrc xorg packages. Yay for those who use them,
           irrelevant for anyone else. (So, thats yay from me)

        k) make pkgsrc usable

           Adding options to list non installed packages, and adding
           binary packages 'from the standard NetBSD ftp server' without
           buggering up your ability to add from your own binary builds
           or source.

        So... If the Desktop NetBSD install option is irrelevant to you,
        which of the above threaten your NetBSD experience?

--
                David/absolute       -- www.NetBSD.org: No hype required --