Hi

kpneal@unity.ncsu.edu wrote:
> 
> I also want my program to have a curses mode, to facilitate a SMIT-like
> utility coming in the future (which I volunteer to write, so send me
> ideas and stuff). I suggest instead of one big mammoth SMIT program,
> we have a bunch of programs that have curses front ends that can
> be brought up if wanted, then have a configurable menu program that
> can call these programs. The menu system could be set up in
> a config file, so the menus can be added to by the sysadm. The menu
> calling the other programs should be visually seamless, to give the
> impression of one program.
> 
> Ideas? Flames? What are the chances of at least adduser getting into
> the tree? I'm a better programmer than some of my stupider moments
> would suggest. 
> 
> I do have to say that AIX has alot going for it in the administration 
> department.

Deep breath, ok I have to say it - so all the traditional BSD'ers (AND I'd
like to see myself as one) hang in there...

I like the hack'em togetherness of NetBSD, I like the quality code, I like
the idea that I'm running something I can something of too.

BUT, I also see that NetBSD is being USED seriously - I like to think
because of the above reasons AND under these conditions where time is
money and stability is profitable the concept of a GOOD sysadm package
cannot be overlooked.

AIX for all its funnies and bends does score well with the SYSADM stuff -
ok, I agree IBM went too far and removed the machine from the sysadm and
handed it over to a software entity that most of the time does not wish to
be bothered and a BSD/hacker like I don't like getting my fingers knobbled
everytime I just quickly want to edit some file...but IBM had to make a
judgement call and I guess they did their best.

Now I'm all for a standard-curses-based-SMIT-like-set-of-tools to admin a
stock NetBSD box. I'm all AGAINST tampering with the NetBSD system files
as they are now just for the sake of a standard curses based SMIT like set
of tools. This creates all kinds of nasties, since the stock scripts are 
not really designed to be soley machine manipulated.

So how about creating a SYSADM tools package? With standardised scripts
that are automagically generated and maintained by the sysadm tools?

Shudder - now THAT sounds familiar. 

Anyway the idea I'm trying to get at is: make it optional, maybe as a pkg - 
sysadm_tools, but make it available. So I can at least give it to a newbie or 
have a production box run by a non-unix guru and still have NetBSD do its job.

After all, WE know that a OS NetBSD is, now let us show the rest of the
world what it can do.

just me 0.02
et
-- 
Ernst J. du Toit (TED5)           Internet: ernstjdt@maxwell.ctech.ac.za
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