Re: rcs

On 10/8/13 8:04 AM, sthaug_at_nethelp.no wrote:
>>> I think the fact is that most direct users of RCS use it in a very
>>> simple way, and
>>> it works just fine for that.  with no real need for any updates or any
>>> change.
>> With all due respect Julian, The more we discuss this more this really
>> points to the problem that FreeBSD appears to be a challenge to install
>> packages into such that a package moving out of base is such a big deal.
>>
>> Can we fix that instead?
>>
>> I mean, this change should really not be a big deal, but yet it is and
>> this speaks to the core of FreeBSD utility.
> Not commenting on RCS here, but on the concept of moving packages out
> of the base:
>
> - For some of us, the attraction of FreeBSD is that it is a tightly
> integrated system, and the base contains enough useful functionality
> that we don't *have* to add a lot of packages.
>
> - Each package that is moved out of the base system means less useful
> functionality in the base system - and for me: Less reason to use
> FreeBSD instead of Linux.
>
> I absolutely see the problem of maintaining out-of-date packages in
> the base system, and the desirability of making the base system less
> reliant on GPL. I'm mostly troubled by the fact that there seems to
> be a rather strong tendency the last few years of having steadily
> less functionality in the base system - and I'm not at all convinced
> that the right balance has been found here.
>
> This discussion is not new, and I don't expect to convince any new
> persons...
>
>
I'm sure other devs will disagree, but with ~15 years of FreeBSD 
experience and ~13 years as a dev, my very strong opinion is that this 
tightly coupled system is actually a boat anchor sinking us.

Just because no one else does it a certain way, does not mean that a 
unique way of doing something is correct and/or sustainable.  Maybe in 
1995, 1999, or 2005 even, but not today.  Especially in the context of 
add-on tools like rcs.

What we need to discuss is lowering the bar to making custom installs.

I personally find that installing FreeBSD is useless until I install 
"screen, zsh, vim-lite, git" why is that so manual for me?  Why can't I 
just register a package set somewhere so that all I have to type in is 
"alfred.perlstein.devel" into a box during the installer and I get all 
my packages by default?

-- 
Alfred Perlstein