Messages in this thread |  | | Subject | Re: Background to the argument about CML2 design philosophy | From | Robert "M." Love <> | Date | 20 May 2001 17:10:01 -0400 |
| |
On 20 May 2001 16:47:00 -0400, Eric S. Raymond wrote: > In order to prevent that happening, I would like to have some recognized > criterion for configuration cases that are so perverse that it is a > net loss to accept the additional complexity of handling them within the > configurator. > > A lot of people (including, apparently, you) are saying there are no such > cases. I wonder if you'll change your minds when you have to handle the > overhead yourselves?
I feel that there should *never ever* be a legit situation that the configuration tool does not allow. Not ever. Two reasons:
First, I tend to trust the config tools (perhaps too much). If they tell me x implies y, or x implies not y, I will believe it. I won't think "hm, the code must be wrong, let me hand edit the config" (which is something I don't want to have to do, anyhow).
Second, I like having a lean kernel. Here is an example (I realize this probably won't ever manifest into a real rule): INTEL_I815 implies INTEL_RNG, DRM_I810, INTEL_AGP, I810_TCO, PCI, etc etc. -- I don't want the RNG or TCO watchdog. I don't use the on-board graphics. Nor, if my i815 model supported it, the sound. There are people who want to customize their kernel (hell, everyone at this level of the game). There are people, like David, who have custom setups. We need to support this, without hacking the config (especially if I have to rehack it after every make oldconfig!).
I like your design to abstract away low levels features to a more general design. This makes it easier for the novice, and more intuitive for everyone. But not at the expense of limiting possible cases.
-- Robert M. Love rml@ufl.edu rml@tech9.net
- 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/
|  |