Re: Desktop NetBSD needs your help

[Daniel Bolgheroni <me%dbolgheroni.eng.br@localhost>]

On Wed, 11 Feb 2009, Daniel Bolgheroni wrote:

> On Sat, 7 Feb 2009, der Mouse wrote:
> 
> > > This sounds like an excellent idea.
> > 
> > I disagree, actually.  It strikes me as trying to turn NetBSD into yet
> > another mass-market "desktop experience" operating system - trying to
> > beat Linux at their own game.  I believe NetBSD doesn't have the
> > resources to do more than be stuck forever playing catch-up at that;
> > we're already constantly playing catch-up for lack of resources on many
> > more fundamental questions, such as hardware support.  I also can't see
> > that we either have or will have anything to distinguish us from them,
> > no answers to the "so why should I install yours rather than theirs?"
> > question.  I think we'd be better off focusing on what we do
> > differently and well than on trying to join the UI monoculture of
> > Windows clones.  The user experience ad writes of actually isn't
> > "poor", except to the extent that different is poor; we aren't a
> > Windows/Mac/Linux clone and I think it's a mistake to try to even look
> > like one, much less turn into one.
> > 
> > But, of course, it's a volunteer project, and ad specifically said he
> > wasn't interested in debating the "whether" of it, so dissuading him
> > from haring off after this would be wasting both his time and mine.
> > 
> > /~\ The ASCII                                 Mouse
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> > 
> > 
> 
> I mostly agreed.
> 
> I know NetBSD is free software and people do whatever they want with the code,
> especially BSD-licensed code. However, I think NetBSD has too many _important_
> priorities. As mentioned, hardware support. The "lack of resources" make me
> think this shouldn't be a NetBSD official project priority rather than some
> developers and contributors project.
> 
> What I like most in NetBSD (and OpenBSD) is its integrity. Projects devoted to
> the UNIX* philosophy, devoted to the simplicity. This simplicity made these
> projects remain relevant even all over the years, a modern OS with most of the
> features other OSs have even with the lack of resources. It's a base to do
> almost anything with a computer system. NetBSD can't lose this.
> 
> I'm a KISS [1] fellow and why not "Worse is Better" [2] too, two concepts that
> made UNIX* what it is. I know too that things change and I'm not saying we
> should remain the rest of the days using console apps, rejecting everything
> new. I do use GUI apps. I just think it's not the way to go for NetBSD.
> 
> However, I do believe that something like the OpenBSD approach [3] to the
> problem raised in the list, e.g. the time to configure a NetBSD system, can be
> done.
> 
> [1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KISS_principle
> [2] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Jersey_style
> [3] http://www.openbsd.org/faq/faq4.html#site
> 
> Teers,
> 
> (Sorry for the bad english.)
> 
> --
> Daniel Bolgheroni <me%dbolgheroni.eng.br@localhost>
> FEI - Faculdade de Engenharia Industrial
> http://www.dbolgheroni.eng.br/mykey
> 
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> 
> 

Flowed text. Sorry.

--
Daniel Bolgheroni <me%dbolgheroni.eng.br@localhost>
FEI - Faculdade de Engenharia Industrial
http://www.dbolgheroni.eng.br/mykey

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