Re: "Next Generation" kernel configuration?

From: Andrew Konstantinov (abkonstantinov_at_earthlink.net)
Date: 07/21/04

  • Next message: Anish Mistry: "Re: "Next Generation" kernel configuration?" 
    Date: Wed, 21 Jul 2004 10:00:19 -0700
To: freebsd-hackers@freebsd.org

    On Wed, Jul 21, 2004 at 05:43:45AM -0700, Avleen Vig wrote:
    > On Tue, Jul 20, 2004 at 07:39:31PM -0500, Conrad J. Sabatier wrote:
    > > Just musing on an idea here:
    > >
    > > I've been thinking for a while now about trying to write a tool to make
    > > kernel configuration easier, sort of a "make config" (as in ports) for
    > > the kernel, similar to what's available on some of the Linux distros.
    >
    > I've read over the other posts in this thread, but I cannot say I think
    > this is a good idea. In fact, I think it's a very bad idea, but with
    > very good intentions. Here's why..
    >
    > I'm a strong proponent of user education. The FreeBSD handbook is one of
    > the best education tools for someone who wants to use FreeBSD, right
    > from beginner to more advanced levels.
    >
    > A "config tool", while useful for beginners, would quickly result is
    > those beginners not learning about building a kernel themselves, copying
    > GENERIC to `hostname -s | tr "[:lower:]" "[:upper:]"`, editing it,
    > learning what is in LINT, remembering to look through there, etc.
    > This process teaches users a lot about how a BSD kernel is configured,
    > what options are availible, and where to look for more options.
    >
    > The end result would be more people building kernels themselves, but not
    > knowing what is actually happening, or what more is possible. It would
    > mean less educated users, and I don't think that is somewhere any
    > organization needs to go (look at what happened to the average Microsoft
    > user's IQ level, after people stopped using DOS and started having
    > machines do the work for them).
    >
    > Like I said, I think your intentions are good, but I have concerns about
    > the suggested solution.

    I think such a tool would actually influence user education in a positive way.
    Here is a sample scenario:

    1) User starts this "program" to configure the kernel
    2) User sees unknown to him option
    3) User decides to look it up on www.google.com
    4) "That's a nice feature, although I don't really need it"
    5) GOTO 1

    The only suggestion I have is to make it a third party program and not build it
    into the make procedure for the kernel. It would look like pkg_tree that's
    located in ports, although with a better ncurses interface.

    Andrew

  • Next message: Anish Mistry: "Re: "Next Generation" kernel configuration?"

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    • Re: "Next Generation" kernel configuration?
      ... >> I've read over the other posts in this thread, but I cannot say I think ... >> I'm a strong proponent of user education. ... >> those beginners not learning about building a kernel themselves, ... dependency checker that would take the kernel config file, ...
      (freebsd-hackers)
    • Re: "Next Generation" kernel configuration?
      ... >>the kernel, similar to what's available on some of the Linux distros. ... > I'm a strong proponent of user education. ... > The end result would be more people building kernels themselves, ... > the suggested solution. ...
      (freebsd-hackers)