[ On Saturday, July 8, 2000 at 11:35:23 (-0400), Todd Vierling wrote: ]
> Subject: Re: login.conf for selecting password verification method (was Re:  Kerberos is on by default?)
>
> On Fri, 7 Jul 2000, Greg A. Woods wrote:
> 
> : I would say that both Linux and Solaris mostly qualify as binary-only
> : systems, but NetBSD does not.
> 
> NetBSD has _explicitly_ added more and more support to allow people full
> system management without ever touching `src'.  After all, what is
> ftp.netbsd.org:/pub/NetBSD/packages?

I don't quite buy that -- even I've used pre-built packages for the
convenience, though I don't feel as comfortable doing so (and probably
for totally irrational reasons! :-).  Lots of NetBSD users who do in
fact participate in system "hacking" have expressed their appreciation
for the pkgsrc system, and even for pre-built binary packages.

However as someone who actually made the commitment to use only binary
pre-built packages in a production environment, I can assure you that
the NetBSD package system is only slowly approaching the quality
necessary to do this reliably without having special expertise.

One can equally aruge that Linux, and even Solaris these days, have
source available.  However in at least Linux specialised knowledge is
definitely required to (re)build any significant portion of the system
from source.  NetBSD on the other hand (and FreeBSD and OpenBSD also)
emphasises the availability of source and ability to build stuff from
source.  I know there are some folks, programmers even, who don't even
build their own kernels, but that's a conscious choice on their part,
not something explicitly encouraged by the OS developers.

-- 
							Greg A. Woods

+1 416 218-0098      VE3TCP      <gwoods@acm.org>      <robohack!woods>
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