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Matthew Kennedy [mkennedy@g.o] wrote: |
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> Justin Lambert <jlambert@×××.cc> writes: |
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> |
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> > back. It saves me a ton of time downloading things. This would be the kind |
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> > of things I (personally) would miss with an all in wonder installer. |
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> |
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> Aren't you all missing the point? *Both* the plain shell-based |
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> installer and the GUI would be available. |
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|
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A noble goal. Unfortunately, reality doesn't work that way. |
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I see three potential outcomes to a project like this, based on the |
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presupposition that an installer cannot possibly be as flexible as the manual |
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method we currently use. I think it's a valid one, but I'm happy to argue it |
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if someone disputes this claim. |
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|
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A) Because of the difficulties of getting the installer to play nice, |
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the flexibility of the current system is comprimised to make things |
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easier for installer development. This one isn't very likely with |
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gentoo, but it could happen. |
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|
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B) The installer is made to work within what we currently have. |
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Users start to use it, and we get greener and greener people trying it. |
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Some of these people know enough to be dangerous (a common trait) |
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and go out of the installer long enough to change something. The |
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installer cannot possibly account for all possible changes to itself |
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so it wigs out. This happens more often as time passes, causing |
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frequent complaints to the list about "buggy" installer software. |
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Eventually, to avoid this, most of the manual stuff is removed to |
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protect the developers from the hordes of 20-watt bulbs who now |
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have infested the list. |
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|
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C) The installer handles most of the situations, but has become so |
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huge in the attempt that either it or the manual methods must go. |
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So no, I'm not missing the point. I'm just looking forward far |
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enough, and looking at other projects where this kind of thing has |
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happened or nearly so, and sounding the warning now, rather than |
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later. |
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|
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-- |
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"If you've never walked into a parking meter, you're wasting valuable |
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reading time." |
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--Eloise Beltz-Deck |
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