Messages in this thread | | | Subject | Re: Network Security hole (was -> Re: arp bug ) | Date | Sat, 02 Mar 2002 17:00:49 -0800 | From | erich@uruk ... |
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Andrew Pimlott <andrew@pimlott.ne.mediaone.net> wrote:
> On Sat, Mar 02, 2002 at 12:31:48PM -0800, erich@uruk.org wrote: > > My general contention is that the system should, by default, behave as > > non-experts would expect, but this might be a point where we can't > > agree. > > > > It is, unfortunately, the cardinal rule when designing any usable > > interfaces. I reference Donald Norman's "The Design of Everyday > > Things". But I digress. > > I must agree with Alan. Low level technical interfaces should > behave according to standards, and should follow a consistent logic > understood by experts in the field (even if it is difficult for the > beginner). If people try to push "usability" (and I'm as much a fan > of that book as you) onto kernel interfaces, we'll wade into a swamp > and never get out. > > Such interfaces need not be exposed to ordinary users. Indeed, by > keeping the low-level layer simple and orthogonal, it becomes easier > to build multiple user-facing layers (for different purposes, or for > comparison at the same purpose). I think this principle is much > more powerful than the one you advance.
You get no disagreement from me with the concept, and I'm following a similar one in a system I'm working on now. (as to the standards conformance, look at my most recent email a few messages ago on that... we're arguing it out ;-).
The Linux kernel at this point, however, is not so easy/orthogonal as you claim, I think. The question always arises: If there is no other easy way to do something than modify your low-level technical interface, then what do you do?
-- Erich Stefan Boleyn <erich@uruk.org> http://www.uruk.org/ "Reality is truly stranger than fiction; Probably why fiction is so popular" - To unsubscribe from this list: send the line "unsubscribe linux-kernel" in the body of a message to majordomo@vger.kernel.org More majordomo info at http://vger.kernel.org/majordomo-info.html Please read the FAQ at http://www.tux.org/lkml/
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