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Alexandru Mincu wrote: |
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> Hi all, |
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> I don't know if this has come up before so excuse me if I am repeating. |
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> I recently stumbled upon the following Linux distribution: |
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> http://www.gobolinux.org/ |
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> They have an idea that Mac OS X implemented it when it first came out to |
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> be more user friendly. |
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> They are trying to remove the old UNIX file system scheme with the/bin |
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> /etc /usr /var, etc directories and are trying to implement a little |
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> more intuitive version of the file system hierarchy. |
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> I know the opinions on this are shared and some people like the old |
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> arrangement, but believe me I've seen lots of new users that come to |
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> Linux and don't understand a thing from the file system arrangement. I |
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> for one have learned this very well and I get used to it, but for the |
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> normal user things should be intuitive ... |
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|
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I've heard about this layout in gobolinux, but I fail to see where this |
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makes life easier for the *user*. The old windows approach of "every |
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file that belongs to on application should be in that applications |
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folder" might make life easier for package managers (easier to clean |
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up), maybe for programmers (no need to worry where what file has to be |
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installed) and for users of an OS without a package manager to keep |
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track of files so they can be uninstalled cleanly. But I don't see any |
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advantage for an end user or system administrator. |
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|
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Yes, if you come from windows the current scheme is pretty confusing |
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because you are not used to it. But once you've understood it it is way |
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better (at least in my opinion). Looking for a config file? Go look in |
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/etc. Looking for documentation? /usr/share/doc has all you need. |
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Binaries? /usr/bin is your place. |
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|
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I don't think "learning Linux" is harder than learning to use any other |
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OS. The problem is that you have to "unlearn" what you took as an |
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absolute truth when you were only using Windows. |
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|
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> The compatibility problem can be solved by creating links for each |
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> directory in the old scheme to a new one that contains links to |
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> programs,libs,etc each in their place. |
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|
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So first we go through the hassle of moving every file to a different |
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location and then recreate links all over the place to be compatible? So |
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the only real advantage i could see (being able to cleanly "uninstall" a |
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program by deleting its folder) would be gone because if we did that we |
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have links all over the place, so we need to rely on a package manager |
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again for that. Once again I fail to see any advantage, at least any |
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advantage that is worth the effort. |
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|
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> I think Gentoo has the power to give the user this choice, and since |
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> Gentoo it's all about choices I think the developers here can make this |
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> happen and make it well. |
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> I propose a new USE flag or any other option that portage supports and |
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> the modifications needed to install each program in it's directory and |
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> create the links to their places. |
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|
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I don't think it would be that easy as you would have to mess around a |
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lot more. |
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|
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> I want to ask the developer community if it is willing to put this in |
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> practice and give the Gentoo users another choice to make their Linux |
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> system the way they want it and like and understand it and not the way |
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> others do or did. |
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|
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|
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I'm not a dev, just a simple user, so I can't answer for them. But I can |
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say from my point that there are other areas where that kind of work |
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could be better invested and some real advantages be gained. |