Gentoo Archives: gentoo-project

From: Martin Vaeth <martin@×××××.de>
To: gentoo-project@l.g.o
Subject: [gentoo-project] Keep handbook short or increase dramatically (was: improving alternative PM support in gentoo)
Date: Sat, 22 Aug 2015 21:55:56
Message-Id: slrnmthrv1.hd6.martin@lounge.imp.fu-berlin.de
In Reply to: Re: [gentoo-project] Re: improving alternative PM support in gentoo by Rich Freeman
1 Rich Freeman <rich0@g.o> wrote:
2 >>
3 >> I cannot see any relation between your remark and what I wrote.
4 >> Essentially, I think it is best to leave the handbook as it is now:
5 >> Have *one* reasonable alternative carried out and refer to others
6 >> to Wiki or some other source.
7 >
8 > The handbook already details multiple alternatives. So, you aren't
9 > arguing to preserve the status quo, but rather to remove options.
10
11 There are currently some alternatives, but most are either very short
12 and easy to maintain. Or - like e.g. the instruction to build
13 an initrd - they are simply *needed* for a basic system in some
14 (not extremely exotic) settings. Nothing comparable to give a
15 full openrc+systemd documentation.
16
17 > You seem happy to have only one alternative in the handbook, because
18 > you're just assuming it is the alternative you happen to prefer.
19
20 No. I don't care which alternative it is, as long as it does not
21 restrict the number of systems on which you can install it.
22 The user can always change to another alternative later on.
23 The handbook is in the first place an instruction how to get
24 *a* basic running system. Mentioning alternatives is fine, but
25 writing kB of details about them is IMHO the wrong place here.
26 You would loose the compactness of the handbook which was definitely
27 one of Gentoo's strengths.
28
29 > with picking just one option is that we all get to fight WW3 over
30 > which option it ends up being. I don't see any value in that.
31
32 I do neither. As mentioned, I think the actual maintainers
33 of the handbook should decide by themselves. Those who do
34 the work should do the decision. It's simple as that.
35
36 For this reason, this is now my last post on the topic.
37 In the end, it is up to the authors of the handbook anyway,
38 whether and what they decide.