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On Sat, Mar 1, 2014 at 11:06 AM, William Hubbs <williamh@g.o> wrote: |
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> |
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> No sir, I was not telling a half-truth. |
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> |
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> If the default configuration is stored in /lib/udev/rules.d for example, |
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> and you can override that default by dropping files of the same name in |
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> /etc/udev/rules.d, I don't see what the concern is. |
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> |
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Oh, that's easy. The concern is that, as a sysadmin, I have no idea |
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what the current configuration even is, let alone any idea that the |
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override is even possible or how the override file is formatted. This |
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problem is magnified for every thing that works this way multiplied |
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again by every instance that the configuration needs to be checked or |
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changed (because it likely needs to be looked up again because it's in |
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a non-standard place and we humans don't remember things well if |
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they're not a constant presence in our lives). |
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In short: Making life easier for users is why distros even exist in |
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the first place. This method lacks transparency and makes life harder |
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for users. |
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On Sat, Mar 1, 2014 at 1:31 PM, Alec Warner <antarus@g.o> wrote: |
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> |
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> it is easy for a some users to determine, using existing tools (vim, less, |
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> etc.) to view what the configuration state is. |
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> |
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This point is incredibly important: It should really never require a |
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search engine to even determine what the current config looks like. I |
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don't care if it involves moving the canonical config, or putting a |
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stub config in /etc with a comment to the effect of: |
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# This file is for overrides; please see /lib/foo/bar for the default |
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system configuration. |
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...or throwing a bunch of code at it to invent a better config |
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tracking tool (again), or whatever. |
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Or say "screw it" and this thread dies with no tangible action like so |
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many others; enjoy your papercuts, users. |
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> When the default configs are in /lib/udev/.../ and the over-rides are in |
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> /etc/udev/.../ that is perhaps less clear. Many applications already provide |
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> app specific tools for this. You can run apt-config dump to dump your entire |
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> apt configuration (on debian / ubuntu) for example. I'm unsure if polkit or |
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> dbus have a tool that will read in the configuration and dump what the |
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> daemon thinks the state would be (if it loaded it.) (puppet has |
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> |
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Oh PLEASE don't let this become a trend. I can't fathom any |
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legitimate reason to reinvent cat repeatedly. |
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> gconf, dconf, polkit, dbus, all do stuff like this. I actually find the |
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> solution somewhat elegant from my side as a sysadmin. |
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> |
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I'm curious: how many people have you encountered who even know those |
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can be configured? (Never mind things like "how does this work?" or |
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"what does this even do?"; you've made a very nice list of things |
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hardly anyone understands. :/ ) |
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Cheers, |
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Wyatt |
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