Re: Importing tmux into base

[Christopher Berardi <cberardi%natoufa.com@localhost>]

On Fri, Feb 11, 2011 at 02:32:05PM -0500, Thor Lancelot Simon wrote:
> On Fri, Feb 11, 2011 at 01:19:21PM -0600, David Young wrote:
> > On Fri, Feb 11, 2011 at 04:14:16PM +0100, Marc Balmer wrote:
> > > Why does the base system only have to provide the bare minimum?  I want
> > > a useable system, and not only a skeleton.
> > 
> > I'm glad you asked that question.  I think that NetBSD is sinking below
> > the threshold of usefulness for daily computing because it does not come
> > with the tools to do type and quality of work that's expected these
> > days.
> 
> My personal opinion is that a large number of very talented and dedicated
> people are employed by entities with large budgets specifically to
> produce systems (many Unix-based) "for daily computing" and that it
> makes little sense for NetBSD to try to compete with them.  I do not
> believe "all things to all people" is the right choice for any project,
> ever.
> 
> Certainly it is possible to purchase a nicely packaged Unix laptop or
> desktop for daily general computing use.  I don't see a lot of point
> to trying to compete with Apple in that segment of the market -- as much
> as I gripe about their failure to do lots of _other_ things well.

According to the NetBSD Guide (section 1.4): âThe NetBSD Project provides a 
freely available and redistributable system that professionals, hobbyists, and 
researchers can use in whatever manner they wishâ

What I might like to see happen is to have some installation "options". I can
readily think of 3 types of options from the types of applications users have 
indicated here that they use NetBSD for beyond what is currently offered in the
system installation:

1) Embedded Installation: a bare minimum installation that could easily work 
   with today's embedded systems. 

2) Server Installation: provide common server applications such as bind, 
   web server, mail server, etc.

3) Workstation Installation: provide a setup that comes with a graphical 
   frontend by default, a la fluxbox, lxde, xfce or the like and also provide
   common desktop apps (like simple web browser) that would make this a good
   workhorse system for a research scientist or other type work.


In the setup, there could also be the ability to peruse the pkgsrc hierarchy
that a user could opt to install via an integrated pkgsrc client, provided they
have an internet connection. 



-- 
Christopher Berardi
http://www.natoufa.com/

Be still, and know that I am God (Psalms 46:10)