On Tue, Feb 08, 2000 at 08:05:47PM +0900, Noriyuki Soda wrote:
> > 
> > Instead of cluttering up /etc/rc.conf with unmaintainable
> > local changes, they keep the system-supplied defaults in
> > /etc/defaults/rc.conf.  /etc/rc.conf has only local changes and
> > system-installer setup changes.
> 
> This seems to be not so nice.
> I've seen that many clueless users just copied /etc/default/rc.conf
> to /etc/rc.conf and modified it, and met troubles later.
> (actually not only clueless users, but some clueful users did same
>  thing and got same troubles.)
> 
> I think that userfriendly dedicated editor for rc.conf is a way to go
> (and /etc/default/rc.conf is not way to go).
> The editor might be used for other /etc/*.conf, not only for sysinst.
> --

My approach would be along the lines of treating each CONF variable as an
object, with properties and naturally a hierarchical structure.  A CONF
editor would then be moderately simple to write in a language that deals
with the object properties (I've toyed with directory services as the
descriptive language) and maintains relationships with other interdependent
variables.

Same goes for software packages, and largely the entirety of a Unix site
configuration description.  Kind of a Microsoft Registry on steroids :-)

Anyone else see things my way?  Are there better options?

++L