Re: Devuan

On Sun, 10 Jul 2016 02:09:30 -0700
Rick Moen <rick-IyCrq+X4Fdq2oZ/[email protected]> wrote:


> See, one of the things I've slowly realised, as I catch up on the
> systemd-centred flamewars of several years ago (in which I didn't
> participate) is that the urge to make distro-packaged software meet
> all needs for all users simultaneously exacts a cost in excess
> complexity, and that some changes primarily for the benefit of novice
> users and to serve Desktop Environments (DEs), primarily GNOME, have
> exacted _too much_ cost.

You think?

With everything talking to each other and knowing each others'
businesses, some distros' Linux is beginning to resemble 1970's
flowchart-designed spaghetti code. Just so nobody has to learn to use
an editor, which is a heck of a lot simpler than a lot of the nice GUI
config programs.

Also, you're more charitable than I. You see the motive as helping the
novice, I see that as an explanation, and I attribute the motive to
something more evil. But either way, what has happened to some distros
is not good news for the guy who knows how to use an editor.

> 
> My main Linux concern is servers, secondarily desktop computing
> without DEs (e.g., with a window manager plus apps selected a la
> carte on a best of breed basis without regard to DE religion).

Thank you! To the extent that a GUI doesn't deliberately preclude
itself with dependencies, it's easy to take any GUI and add all the
stuff you want. To my mind, the only thing Gnome and Unity give you are
"pretty", "drag and drop", and "read my mind, badly".

On my desktop is Openbox + dmenu + UMENU + rox-filer. On my laptops I
substitute LXDE for Openbox.
 
SteveT

Steve Litt 
July 2016 featured book: Troubleshooting Techniques
     of the Successful Technologist
http://www.troubleshooters.com/techniques