Re: Adding a simple editor to the base system

[David Sheryn <dhs%chromiq.org@localhost>]

Iain Hibbert wrote:

> On Tue, 10 Feb 2009, David Brownlee wrote:
> >         I'd like to propose we add a simple text editor to the base
> >         system. The obvious candidate is 'ee' from FreeBSD. Its in
> >         pkgsrc as editors/easyedit. Its not too big (56K stripped
> >         on i386), only links against libc & curses, and needs no
> >         other files (apart from termcap).
>
> I would like to (only mildly) oppose this. My reasoning is that of course
> we already have an editor and I don't know how this project is aiming to
> add (eg GNOME) functionality - is it all to be imported to base?
>
> Far better imo would be to work on providing a way to create and install a
> base system with packages included. That way, a "Desktop NetBSD" release
> can be built with GNOME (and ee :) but very easily somebody else can
> create a config file for XCFE or "Xen Server" or -nothing- if they prefer
> that.
>
> Bonus points if the 'release config' can specify kernel config(s) and
> exclude unwanted portions of base. eg If I want to build a web server, I
> certainly don't want any bluetooth stack or tools..
>
> Of course, this is advantageous for the embedded and limited-resource
> crowd because in the end, they can move external/ to pkgsrc if the cross
> compilation problem can be solved.
>
> iain

This is a hat-tip to the minimalist folks.  The hardest part of talking 
through an ab-initio from bare-metal to functioning network-monitor (no 
desktop required--but would have been advantageous) was how to use vi to 
edit config files.  Sure, the fancy new desktop installer could do all 
of that, but for 56k of binary in base, we make life easier for a whole 
bunch of other folks, too ?

/DHS