Subject: Re: don't remove ksh
To: NetBSD Userlevel Technical Discussion List <tech-userlevel@netbsd.org>
From: Greg A. Woods <woods@weird.com>
List: tech-userlevel
Date: 10/19/2001 23:47:59
[ On Friday, October 19, 2001 at 19:29:35 (-0700), Greywolf wrote: ]
> Subject: Re: don't remove ksh
>
> Must we use a specialised lister to read these lists instead of just
> being able to look at the directory hierarchy?

There is no observable difference between the output of 'cat' and 'ls',
other than perhaps the order, but with 'sort' in the way even that
difference is lost and gone forever....

Now of course with manifests that also contain secure signatures of the
files you've got even better ways to ensure the integrity of your
original release files.

> Suppose I were to tell you that that way lies Linux.   Now suppose I
> were to tell you that that way lies madness.  But I repeat myself.

Suppose I were to tell you that with proper manifest lists the total
madness of relying on the instantaneous real-time view of the filesystem
contents will go away so completely you'll never remember how mad you
were to rely on it in the first place.

> If the hierarchies merge, I might as well use Linux for all the good
> it'd do.

Once you have proper manifest lists of all the files that belong in your
original virgin release then you don't need to over-load the use of
hierarchies with conflicting meanings.  Use hierarchies to separate
files by their purpose, not their origin!!!!

-- 
							Greg A. Woods

+1 416 218-0098      VE3TCP      <gwoods@acm.org>     <woods@robohack.ca>
Planix, Inc. <woods@planix.com>;   Secrets of the Weird <woods@weird.com>