auto configuration systems

[Xen]

Ralf Mardorf schreef op 13-04-2017 20:10:

> It's not an insult. In my experiences people often want to stay with
> something they are used to and then try to change it in a way, it
> wasn't designed for, instead of becoming used to something that is
> intended for what they want to do.

There is nothing difficult about changing Ubuntu. In that sense most of 
the stuff I did or would ever want to do was just /etc stuff and 
possibly /usr/local.

Compiling a kernel module requires something set up with dkms but after 
that it is probably very simple.

There is just nothing about Ubuntu that I would consider "getting in the 
way" of stuff unless you want to change binaries on the system.

It is systems like SystemD and NetworkManager that get in the way of 
what you want to do but other than that Arch also has systemd right, and 
once you know where to place services and don't do anything special with 
the boot sequence it is not that hard (although getting stuff to 
shutdown properly is just nigh impossible at times if there are crypt 
devices to be unmounted and stuff -- SystemD is real good at not 
shutting down your system).

Unless, Indeed, Arch and Gentoo have some really cool customization 
systems, as you say, then I don't see how "out of the blue" things will 
suddenly configure themselves for you automatically on a different 
system.

It is ridiculous to think that Ubuntu cannot be adjusted, unless you get 
hammered by package updates, unless Arch really has some kind of magical 
auto-config system I don't know what is the big difference.

Now I'm not saying there can't be a difference in how easy it is to 
compile your own packages.

The AUR (arch user repository?) is mentioned as a great resource and on 
OpenSUSE it is also much easier to install third-party software than on 
Ubuntu.

OpenSUSE has a shitload of repositories available, but there are 
scarcely any third party PPAs for Ubuntu or Debian, that are even 
moderately up to date...

For example, when on OpenSUSE 13.2 I needed a newer NetworkManager 
someone had it available in a repository. On Ubuntu something like that 
is very hard unless you can take it from a newer version repo -- Like 
taking stuff out of Zesty now for Me (Xenial).

So I assume that creating packages is easier and better understood on 
Arch and with more packages it is of course easier to recreate changes 
to your system as well.

Just create a "my system configuration" package ;-).