Re: Why is Desktop NetBSD a threat to NetBSD?

[Andy Ruhl <acruhl%gmail.com@localhost>]

On Fri, Feb 13, 2009 at 8:26 AM, Greg A. Woods; Planix, Inc.
<woods%planix.ca@localhost> wrote:
> Modern end users of desktop systems expect an even greater integration
> between the desktop and the underlying OS than ever before and so if NetBSD
> is to gain a good desktop environment it may very well be that it _must_ be
> at the expense of the comfortable and easy human sysadmin management ways we
> have now.

But I think from the original mail, if I'm reading it right, making
Desktop NetBSD was mostly just to save the time of having to go out
and download and install desktop software, not to Solve All Computer
Problems With A Slick Interface.

I think the scope can quickly get out of hand if elaborate integration
is expected.

I have this feeling that some people don't use NetBSD (as a desktop
anyway) simply because you have to fiddle with it too much to even get
a useable desktop. And I also have this feeling that this is a barrier
to entry for new users who would just use Linux because it's an easier
starting point, no matter what the end goal of using the OS is.

These people are probably not against having to learn some things
specific to NetBSD and using text files to configure the system, they
just don't want to start from a black screen with white letters and
not a good background or understanding of where to go from there.

Andy