Curt Sampson <cjs@cynic.net> writes:

> On 6 Dec 1999, Michael Graff wrote:
> 
> > (1)  When looking at a possible solution to a problem, for instance
> >      /etc/rc vs. /etc/init.d/, don't reinvent the wheel.  Pick
> >      something someone else already does, and use it.  Doing things
> >      our own way will only hurt us here.
> 
> Well, it's certainly helped NetBSD as far as I'm concerned, and I
> suspect a number of NetBSD users are with me here. Most Linux
> distributions didn't reinvent the wheel when it comes to scripts
> for system startup, and that SysV runlevel thing keeps me miserable
> to this day when I have to use Linux systems. If NetBSD started in
> the same direction, I'd be looking to switch to a new OS.

There are things where real work can be done, and there are places
where it is better to do what someone else does.  For instance, we
are doing the PNP things much better than anything else I've seen.
However, system startup is (IMHO) somewhere we should take what others
use and use it ourselves.  Users will be happy.

> Driving away current users in the hope of gaining new users does
> not seem to be a very productive strategy.

Since current users can continue to use /etc/rc as it is, and new
users get something closer to the /etc/init.d style of things (which
is probably what they expect) who loses again?

> In fact, we are. (Charles Hannum has been pushing this pretty hard
> lately, and producing what I consider to be some notable successes.)

Charles has done a lot, yes.

> But vague complaints aren't going to do anything for our current
> marketing effort. Best would be if you went and did something to
> help the marketing, such as manning a booth at a trade show. Good
> would be if you'd at least come up with a list of concrete things
> that need to be done, and how they would help us, and co-ordinate
> volunteers who wish to work on those items. But please, `we need
> marketing' is neither a new nor a useful refrain.

I think I'll be organizing a CD release.

--Michael