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Re: Two NetBSDs: from Desktop NetBSD needs your help



Pouya D. Tafti wrote:
On 2009-02-07, der Mouse <mouse%rodents-montreal.org@localhost> wrote:
Prompted by smb's response to ad's note about "Desktop NetBSD"....

 I'm actually starting to notice a fundamental divide here.  There seem
 to be two groups of people (I'm painting with a broad brush here; the
 boundaries are not as sharp as I'm making them sound, but I think this
 characterization is useful enough to think about).  One group uses
 "modern" machines (i386, ia64, amd64), sees disk, RAM, and CPU cycles
 as cheap, and wants a "desktop experience", preferably one that looks
 as much like the Windows/Mac/Linux world as possible.  The other group
 uses other ports (sandpoint, vax, shark, pmax, the list is long), sees
 CPU cycles, RAM, sometimes even disk space as scarce resources, and is
 perfectly happy with a command line (or occasionally, as in embedded
 systems, no UI at all).  Most of the conflicts I've seen within the
 project, recently, are between these two camps.  Perhaps we need
 another split?  It would certainly cut down on those conflicts and keep
 each group happier, letting them have what they want without constantly
 struggling with the other.

As a desktop user running NetBSD on "modern" (amd64) hardware, I would
find such a split unfortunate.  If I wanted a Linux-like user
experience, I would run Linux.  The reason I turned to NetBSD was its
clean and light design, which I think is to a large part due to the
constraints imposed by its multi-architecture and multi-purpose
nature.  The main area in which I would wish to see improvements is
not desktop experience but drivers and hardware support.

For a while now, NetBSD has been my last refuge against the seemingly
overwhelming tide of bloatware and GUI-centric design.  If NetBSD (or
its "modern-hardware" branch) was to become another Linux clone, I
wouldn't know where to turn next.

The goal here is to make it easier to install a modern desktop if you want one. Why does that bother you? Just say no when the installer asks you and carry on with your life.

Now lets get back on track and discuss how you can help, or keep your whinging about the merits of the project to yourself.

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