On Sun, Jun 11, 2006 at 07:08:02PM +0200, Johnny Billquist wrote:
> If we feel free to switch tools depending on the current trends or
> views, we are in effect creating a system where you cannot rely on the
> base system at all to have a specific environment.
>
> That in turn leads to the conclusion that you'd better install
> anything you want to depend on yourself, and not trust base, because
> base is a moving target.

s/base/-current/g and you're correct.  however, netbsd-3 still has
sendmail included.  sendmail will be dropped in netbsd-4.

> That is the point I'm trying to make, and people can feel as insulted
> as they want. My intention is not to insult anyone, but to question
> the wiseness of starting to adapt to whatever the current trend is.

make it smaller?  less is more?

I hope this will happen with kernels too.  (is anybody still using or
doing research with XNS or CLNP?)  might make VAXen run a little better.
(:

> And I do think there is a point in questioning what else might be
> dropped in the future, because someone might actually depend on that
> subsystem as well, and might be bitten. I'm aware that it's hard to
> tell what the future will be in detail, but people have opinions on
> which direction things should move.

it is a worthwhile question, and I wish core was less opaque in making
these sorts of decisions, and that a speculative plan was released every
few quarters to let us lowly users know what the plans are, even if they
change.

-- 
  Aaron J. Grier | "Not your ordinary poofy goof." | agrier@poofygoof.com
              "silly brewer, saaz are for pils!"  --  virt