On Wed, 16 May 2001, Greg A. Woods wrote:

# > "Make it configurable."
# >
# > I think that there should be a configurable timeout for things like this,
# > including a value for "never".
#
# NO!  Never make anything any more complex than it needs to be.

Thank you very much for slamming the door in the face of what was intended
to be a moderate suggestion.  That's pretty rude.

# First you have to show that there's actually a need for such a
# superfluous feature.  As I said I cannot even imagine such a need!

I don't see a need, then, for things to change such that they don't time
out.  If something in there doesn't time out and waits forever, you're
hosed.

What if, say, something in /etc/rc.shutdown.local, or something it calls,
hangs, and you (for some reason) CANNOT send an interrupt to it (or is
such a notion completely inconceivable to you?)?  Init will never send it
a TERM or a KILL, and reboot(2) will never be called.  Voilą!  Look, Mom,
I'm well and fscked.  Thanks, loads.

# And then you have to show that the "costs" of such a feature, both in
# implementation and maintenance, as well as in the way the influence the
# usability of the entire system, are worth it too!  :-)

Fine, then, don't change it from how it is now.  But don't come storming
in here and telling us that this is how it's got to be.

If something is going to happen to change the functionality of my system,
you'd better be offering me a way to *turn it off* if I don't want it.

Again, I will say with more vigor this time to make sure the intent is
properly received:

	Make It *Configurable*, or Don't Do It.

				--*greywolf;
--
*BSD: the devil made me do it.