Re: Task-help & Wizards

[Kevin Forge <forgeltd@pop.netaddress.usa.net>]

The Gecko wrote:
> 
> The idea will be targetting a CORE compliant distribution, that way we'd be
> targetting multiple distributions, not just one.

Correct.  However the core dose not exist as yet.  In the mean time we (
at
Independence ) are targeting RedHat 5.x and 4.x
Practice has shown that an app that installs smoothly on RedHat 4 will
also
install on COL, S.E.u.S and all the other RedHat clones.  This is not
all
users by a long shot, however inexperienced users tend to go after the 
simpler Linux setups ( like the ones named ).  Only HardCore Hackers use
Debian and Stampede and Slackware has a dwindling user base.
 
> > It's a bad idea. Why ? For a start, RPM can't interactively place files.
> > So your packages aren't going to be in RPM format.
> I wasn't thinking about file placement (that's pretty much controlled by
> the FSS).  There are still other options (to some programs) that shouldn't
> be forced on a user.. such as color syntax (on or off?) vim... or number
> of beads in xabacus.

NO!  I disagree.  It is better to give the user a set of defaults that
will
work on the 1st attempt and then let him modify those defaults to his
taste.
The defaults don't even have to be good options, just options that will 
work for most.  

It's only after trying XAbackus that you will actually know how many
beads
are appropriate for your way of usage.  
 
> > You need to come up with something that is going to work with the existing
> > packaging mechanisms. RPM and wizards are _highly incompatible ...
> There can't be an extention added to RPM that runs a wizard asking for
> configuration options and then modifies the necessary configuration files?

Probably.  but more dangerous than selecting simple arbitrary defaults.
Remember a user who has never used Apache and hasn't yet read the docs 
( HTML format in a dir used by apache :) will not know how many user he
should be set to accept as maximum and doesn't know the implications of 
using too high a number
-- 
"Make easy things easy, and hard things possible."
mailto:forgeltd@usa.net  http://independence.dunadan.com/