Re: Rant about installer features (Re: Progeny)

[Katipo]

Carl Fink wrote:
 While your description is exaggerated, what's wrong with an installer
 that detects the hardware for me, so I don't have to manually set
 dozens or hundreds of things? You seem to be implying that's bad.
 What's wrong with an installer that lets me resize NTFS partitions?
 What's wrong with an installer that fully supports RAID?
 Like I said, some people are too defensive about Debian, thinking
 that any criticism or suggestion for improvement is the equivalent of
 slapping in the face.
There is absolutely nothing wrong with an installer that opens a can of 
beer for you during the installation process as far as I'm concerned, it 
is totally immaterial.

It is this aspect which is going to permit Debian to seize an ever 
increasing market share from monopolists that restrict access, and in so 
doing enforce an exhorbitant market cost. With the ability of all open 
source/free software to continue to do this comes the market force that 
forces monopolists to decrease their end product cost in order to 
compete. Witness Ballmer's offer to the Munich government last year to 
supply M$ to them free of charge in order to lock Suse? out of the 
situation, a strategy that failed. The Munich govt. continues with Linux 
migration. Many endusers are simply not interested in configuring every 
aspect of their home theatre system through their PC. Even if they were, 
their wives wouldn't let them.

I feel that the wrong issue is being addressed here.
As long as access remains within Debian, along with up to date 
documentation, the personal potential of configurability will remain. 
After that, it is a matter of personal choice, and nobody, one way or 
the other, has the right to dictate that.
Given that there is a complacency factor inherent with completely 
automatic installation and there may be a delay  for individual choice 
to assert itself, this too is individual choice, the responsibility for 
which lies with the individual and not one that Debian has the right to 
make on their behalf. This is the mental attitude assumed by the 
proprietary vendors, and not one that I would choose to be associated with.
Regards,

David.
--
To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] 
with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact [EMAIL PROTECTED]