Re: Definition of NetBSD users

[Dennis den Brok <d.den.brok%uni-bonn.de@localhost>]

markucz%gmail.com@localhost <markucz%gmail.com@localhost> schrieb:
> Hobbyists:
> *) Recently in a @tech-userlevel thread ("break down config") someone
> proposed dropping support for ports which _appear_ not to be used anymore and
> buying e.g. ARM/MIPS boards instead. What about those who still have old
> machines and want to continue using them?

One could argue that, as they apparently have been using CVS mostly
before, they could continue to do so and pull legacy versions of
NetBSD from there.  If they need the latest and greatest, why are
they using such old platforms in the first place? Particularly as
both NetBSD's and pkgsrc's requirements on hardware steadily
increased over the years. Also, it's not that all of these are
supported much more than by being declared to, it seems...

This is just an argument, not strictly my opinion. If I had a say,
I wouldn't support dropping platform support just because they
annoy some developers adding features from time to time, but if
they really turn out to be a major hurdle, then it should at least
be discussed.

Maybe the developers concerned could come up with a definite list
of platforms they'd like to see dropped?

> Desktop users:
> *) Is NetBSD trying to outlinux Linux as a desktop system (like support Flash,
> Skype, etc. out of the box) or does it just provide a desktop if you need one?
> There's already PCBSD and even it is a Johnny-come-lately in that respect.
>
> More generally, it there a clear idea what NetBSD is going to be? Will it keep
> its profile as a lean and clean BSD or become yet another Un*x? 

I don't see why one should suffer from the disadvantages of Linux
just not to lock oneself out of 10% of the WWW, or to enable one's
wife to plug in a USB stick and have it mounted without her carrying
a notebook full of UNIX commands with her, to put it bluntly...

Regards,

Dennis den Brok