Difference Between Automatix and EasyUbuntu (was Re: Newbie Wurkshop)

[Peter Whittaker]

On Tue, 2006-14-11 at 14:42 -0500, Evan Leibovitch wrote:
> Corey Burger wrote:
> > There is a recognition that
> > there is a need for a better way. There is even a spec about it:
> > https://features.launchpad.net/distros/ubuntu/+spec/common-customizations
> >   
> ...this is not the solution. The proposed answer is far more
> bureaucratic, over-engineered and paternalistic than is necessary.

I'm a little confused by the bureaucratic/paternalistic comment: When I
visit that link, I see a bug report (for tracking purpose) and a spec
(for definition purposes). These are both "good things", IMHO:
Development without process is simply undirected random change. Kinda
like evolution: Can work well over the course of hectomillenia, not so
responsive in the short term. If there is a goal worthy of pursuit,
planning is required to achieve it.

In this case, the goal, is, uh, a stretch. To say the least. So my guess
is that there is going to be a lot of scribbling and over-planning and
even analysis paralysis before the right answers begin to emerge.

Honestly, I'm not trying to troll or flame anyone, I'm just very
confused as to why a planning exercise and its (immature, very early)
content gets labelled bureaucratic or paternalistic.

> The team can, though simple documentation as simple as a wiki page,

One of the problems is that while there is already ample documentation,

	a) users must know to go looking for it (thems of us who are motivated
will do so; thems that just want things to work likely won't);

	b) the documentation is often out-of-date and contradictory (ample, by
multiple maintainers, with little coordination)

> Anything more than this is unnecessary and needlessly complicates things.

That might the answer at which the community arrives after consideration
and debate. But at least then there will be organized body of thought to
which we can all refer when explaining to others why we do not have
more.

Perhaps the end result will be a coordinated management effort to
maintain the ample documentation. In other words, a training focus
rather than a development focus.

IMHO, the outcome will be an improved set of tools and an improved set
of documentation and better linkages between the two. At the very least,
it is worth doing the planning to learn whether or not we can do better.

pww


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