Re: [gentoo-dev] YaST will be GPL [Virus checked]

[Joel Martin]

Corvus Corax wrote:	[Fri Mar 19 2004, 09:07:33AM EST]
>
> There could be a gentoo-YaST fork, which modifies the now GPLed YaST, to:
>
> - support installation and modification of the system using ebuilds instead of RPMs
> - do configuration based on the existing configuration files and packages
> - read the configuration from existing files

I was thinking exactly the same thing. It doesn't need to be gentoo
specific though, except for a few things such as packages, net config,
etc. If the "config backend" part worked properly, it could exist
with custom config data. I would add a couple more feature requirements:

- Recoverability: config files are transaction'd, and the user can
  easily return to a specific config. It was working yesterday, go back
  to what I had yesterday at 11:00 AM.
- Discoverability: The transaction log can be understood (human
  readable, or extractable with a tool). And if the user selects the
  option, the tool gives detailed feedback for each change made. How do
  I configure a samba share? Aha! YaST can tell me how.

The above would expand the Gentoo philosophy to a broader audience
without impinging on advanced users:
"The Gentoo philosophy is to allow this user to do what he or she wants
to do, without getting in the way."

Now I just wish I had time to work on that :-)

Joel Martin (kanaka)