[prev in list] [next in list] [prev in thread] [next in thread] 

List:       kde-core-devel
Subject:    Re: System Configure tool
From:       Chris Schlaeger <cs () kde ! org>
Date:       2001-05-06 12:26:21
[Download RAW message or body]

On Sat, May 05, 2001 at 02:42:42PM -0700, Charles Samuels wrote:
> If the distros ever grow up and figure out that none of them will succeed 
> unless they all have one config tool, then that's their problem, I'm doing 
> this for our users, not theirs.  If they want to use one config tool that 
> isn't this one, fine, I will stop development of this immediately, but until 
> then, I have a purpose.

If you would take a look at the configurations tools of the distros
you would soon realize that they use all fundamentally different
concepts. This is mainly because they are targeting different customer
bases, so they have very different requirement.

If you would take a look at the sources of those tools you would soon
realize that something as simple as a network configuration is already
an extremely complex task. You need to worry about modems, ISDN cards,
NICs, and a dozend different DSL flavours. All of them use ifconfig
(at least in an IPv4 world) but the underlying configuration is
strongly tight to the tools you have. For various reasons each
distributor uses a different set of those tools, so there are no
standard APIs whatsoever. Oh yes, and there is PCMCIA to make your
live even more painful. And when IPv6 enteres the agenda, the whole
mess starts all over again.

I totally agree with you that a common set of admin tools across all
Linux/UNIX platforms would be a really great thing to have. But I know
quite well how difficult it is to create even a decent set of tools
for a single distro I have total control over. Creating such tools for
multiple distribution you have no or little control over seems to me
impossible. Time is not just ready yet.

Chris

-- 
KDE 2.1: Conquer your Desktop!
http://www.kde.org

[prev in list] [next in list] [prev in thread] [next in thread]