Subject: Re: Release goo for 1.4.2_ALPHA
To: None <jonathan@netbsd.org, tech-install@netbsd.org, tech-userlevel@netbsd.org>
From: John Nemeth <jnemeth@victoria.tc.ca>
List: tech-userlevel
Date: 02/24/2000 17:11:32
On Jun 30,  9:18am, Jonathan Stone wrote:
} 
} I noticed one thing about FreeBSD 3.x that's really nice:
} 
} Instead of cluttering up /etc/rc.conf with unmaintainable
} local changes, they keep the system-supplied defaults in
} /etc/defaults/rc.conf.  /etc/rc.conf has only local changes and
} system-installer setup changes.
} 
} Could we do that, too?

     I would rather we didn't do this, since it leads down the SysV
road of spreading configuration information all over the place.  I like
the BSD way of keeping configuration information in one place (/etc).

     Besides, I find that when I install a new version of the OS, I
have to go through rc.conf anyways since otherwise I wouldn't know what
is new and/or about changed defaults.  Making this change would just
mean more files that have to inspected (and possibly changed) when
upgrading the system for no good reason.

}-- End of excerpt from Jonathan Stone