[ILUG] OOM discussion...

[John P. Looney]

On Thu, Mar 09, 2000 at 02:02:21PM +0000, Paul Jakma mentioned:
> well, it's horses for courses isn't it?
> 
> In the case of linux, Linus wants the code to be maintainable in the
> long-term, so he wants the code to be "clean" at all costs, even at the
> expense of short-term bad behaviour, because to him a kludgy short-term
> fix is not worth the risk to the long-term maintainability of the code.

 An honourable goal. But "all-costs" shouldn't include a four-year big
whopping bug should it ? Or the fact that the OS was nearly ten years old,
by the time it got complete PCMCIA support, because Linus didn't like the
functional implementation that he was offered ?

 It's a good idea, but Linus takes it too far sometimes.

> I like that goal, and i am willing to tolerate the rough edges of linux
> for that goal. If you find that unacceptable, fine, that's your choice.
> (and i too would choose Other OS's over linux if i needed to. Eg for
> reliable NFS, or large SMP boxes, etc.., but i hope that one day i will
> be able to consider linux for these jobs)

 But only if you need to ? If another OS was better, full stop, would you
move ? 

 I've been thinking that I've been using RedHat for about three, four
years now. It's always been sufficent, sometimes excellent. But I'm not
trying out enough other operating systems (and Linux distros) to be happy
that I've got the right one yet.

 But, I'm lazy, and want to be installing off CD. Anyone got an ISO image
of Debian HURD or Stampede Linux ?

Kate

-- 
"The fool must be beaten with a stick, for an intelligent person 
the merest hint is sufficient"                -- Zen Master Greg