Subject: Re: Updating /etc...
To: Ted Lemon <mellon@fugue.com>
From: Tobias Weingartner <weingart@austin.BrandonU.CA>
List: current-users
Date: 12/22/1995 12:41:36
On Thursday, December 21, Ted Lemon wrote:
> 
[Deleted]
> 
> The one important thing from my perspective is that I think it's a
> *bad* idea to put this functionality into init.   Let's keep init
> simple.   I think diverting down the path of making init more
> SysV-like would be a mistake, even if we decide that we want similar
> functionality to what SysV init provides.

Yup.  I agree, please keep init simple.  Run levels, and inittab are
a tad overkill.  I like the package start/stop/* stuff, being able to
add and remove them easily, however, full blown SysV stuff is just a
tad too complex.  Has anyone ever tried to setup a printer on a solaris
box?  Goes to show you that things can be very nice, and well thought
out (speculative, I know), but still be large and complex.

I have only two things that I wish people would keep in mind.

1) Keep it simple, and organized.
2) Provide a way to modify things from the command-line.
	A quick aside, useradd on a solaris system is a good thing
	in my opinion.  However, there is no way to set the users
	initial password with any command-line program, save passwd.
	This makes it harder than it should be, to add say 1500 users
	at once.  It at least involves some perl scripting...

	Please, whatever we decide (or not) to go with, make sure that
	it is simple to use (or build) a program that can install/deinstall
	programs and services to this facility.


Anyways, 'nough spouting, back to my cave...

--Toby.
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