Subject: Re: more work in rc.d [was Re: rc, rc.shutdown proposed change]
To: None <tech-userlevel@netbsd.org>
From: der Mouse <mouse@Rodents.Montreal.QC.CA>
List: tech-userlevel
Date: 03/18/2000 13:51:09
>> Add or delete...maybe.  Change, I especially disagree; the amount of
>> code you have to understand to change one component is more than the
>> amount in the whole thing under the old way.
> That's wrong -- all you need to understand is the programming
> interface and that can be documented in a few simple paragraphs (and
> indeed it is mostly documented now with internal comments in
> rc.subr).  The scripts themselves are black boxes that the average
> admin should never even read.

The same old "you don't need to know how it works under the hood, don't
bother your little head with that".

It just ain't so.

If the change I want to make is one that is provided for, I need to
know enough about how it works to be confident the documentation - if
any - is correct, that it's not going to spring a surprise on me and
automatically enable or disable something else I don't want because
someone else thought, incorrectly, "oh, but you can't possibly want
this without that".  Or that there aren't even any simple bugs lurking.

If the change I want to make is one that isn't provided for, matters
are even worse.  Or are you under the impression that you have
anticipated everything anyone can possibly want?

					der Mouse

			       mouse@rodents.montreal.qc.ca
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