Re: Desktop NetBSD needs your help

[matthew sporleder <msporleder%gmail.com@localhost>]

On Mon, Feb 9, 2009 at 1:41 AM, Gobbledegeek <gobbledegeek%gmail.com@localhost> 
wrote:
> I am a newcomer and a relative "junior" on netbsd  with no
> contributions to netbsd yet, however please allow me to comment.
>
> There is no desktop distribution out there that satisfies users
> completely with regards to features. A desktop in todays world has to
> be a fully mulimedia capable and too driven by emerging market -
> yesterday it was smooth DVD playback, today it is smooth
> x.264/h.264/VC-1 mpeg4  playback with support for hdcp and blu-ray.
> Too many closed source and buggy implementations of proprietory
> formats or graphics drivers to support - that will compromise the
> stability and perception of netbsd as a stable platform. Why aim for
> desktop that will only partially satisfy an end-user and still require
> him to boot windows to enjoy the Internet and rich multimedia?
>
> Instead of targeting the desktop user, netbsd should target at winning
> over the average sysadmin user with the promise of making him a
> "superhuman" sysadmin with freedom from the bondage of reading manuals
> (of course you have to read this one manual to be free from all other
> manuals :D ). Creating an "I can do it better with netbsd" mindset on
> existing RHEL/SuSE/Windoze sysadmins may be a better challenge than
> chasing the desktop dream and never getting there (Case in point -
> Ubuntu and OpenSuse are still struggling after all these years  - in
> many cases for no fault of theirs but h/w vendors being closed)
>
>
>  I feel it would be better for netbsd to evolve an enterprise  server
> edition competing with those like RHEL or Suse Enterprise - one that
> is tuned for large scale deployments to reduce sysadmin headaches.
>
>
> For example, it will be nice to install a netbsd "enterprise server
> edition" flavor that includes out-of-box tools
>
> 1. To deploy network device configurations with roll back/checkpoint -
> like RANCID
> 2. A NetFlow monitor
> 3. Database health monitor app
> 4. OS/Server app health monitor, with a bundled alerting system that
> works in agent/client or central station mode
> 5. Remote deployment of OS/Application with versioning like item 1
> 6.  A "heartbeat" or CARP/VRRP failover and redundancy tool
> customizable for any server app not just firewalls/gateways (to allow
> sysadmins to enjoy their weekends)
> 7. Anycast IP server deployment tool ( insert and remove network
> routes based on app availability) not just for DNS
> 8. Bundled working linux ABI for tempting migration of existing linux
> apps and server deployments etc...
> 9. Automated and scheduled backup and restore tool where one only
> needs to specify  backup strategies and devices ( compete with
> existing enterprise solutions for features)
>
>
> This is not a personal wish-list, just a hint suggestion ... A
> seasoned old hand at large scale deployments may have more useful
> inputs to give here.
>
> For all of the above, a hi-res vesa  console framebuffer ncurses based
> 'GUI" that does not involve X and its headache with graphics drivers
> blobs would be great!
>
> For items 1, 3 and 4 The station monitoring app could  simply require
> one to add an xml based  plugin specifying vendor specific parameters
> and thresholds and which IP  to connect to. An xml metadata generator
> tool to create the plugins will do the trick neatly. The community can
> contribute plugins with context help explaining what the monitored
> parameters mean with benchmark tunable thresholds so it does not force
> the sysadmin to reach for the vendor specific manual at first use!
> Over time a collection of a large pool of 3rd party vendor tools can
> be bundled.
>
> If the "enterprise flavor" can give an out-of-box experience for
> deployment of a platform with advanced system admin tools - including
> many that are only possible with advanced scripting skills that the
> average  sysadmin only dreamed about till now, it may serve the
> community at large better without diluting the goals of netbsd
> movement of having a clean distribution minus the clutter of desktop
> apps.


You're basically talking about the exact same thing with a different
meta-pkg.  If someone had pitched your idea as "Server NetBSD" it wold
have received the exact same response.  (I already use netbsd as a
server.  Don't tell me what I do and do not need.  We're trying to be
just like $otheros with their dumb install options.)

FYI- you're the second person to suggest the higher-res console, which
I think is being done and was motivated by the desktop project.  :)

Try to see a bigger picture,
Matt