From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 From: "Patrick Kelly" To: "'Fans of the OS Plan 9 from Bell Labs'" <9fans@9fans.net> References: <20100325114948.GA7249@polynum.com> <11721B64-8041-4D96-94E3-49472F941C38@fastmail.fm> <32d987d51003281236m7a890b0dkaf4de23191fa3d47@mail.gmail.com> <8AB033EC-13D4-4BD3-A70F-B9CE7D724238@fastmail.fm> <2653D5E1-ADDE-4351-8DE1-896D490DED68@fastmail.fm> <000b01cacf1f$3d25e570$b771b050$@com> <1E47E1C7-F15B-4295-9B7F-F1CFA96508AB@fastmail.fm> <000c01cacf39$729037a0$57b0a6e0$@com> In-Reply-To: Date: Mon, 29 Mar 2010 09:05:56 -0400 Message-ID: <000d01cacf40$936a6340$ba3f29c0$@com> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Subject: Re: [9fans] Man pages for add-ons Topicbox-Message-UUID: f79e34ca-ead5-11e9-9d60-3106f5b1d025 >-----Original Message----- >From: 9fans-bounces@9fans.net [mailto:9fans-bounces@9fans.net] On = Behalf Of Connor Lane Smith >Sent: Monday, March 29, 2010 8:42 >To: Fans of the OS Plan 9 from Bell Labs >Subject: Re: [9fans] Man pages for add-ons > >Hey, > >On 29 March 2010 13:14, Patrick Kelly wrote: >> In my opinion, package managers are only a solution for systems that = are >> already a mess. I've said it before, I downright hate Windows, but it = gets >> by just fine without a package manager; Just install and uninstall >> 'scripts'. Those scripts wouldn't even need to be necessary on Plan = 9, or >> any system that doesn't maliciously abuse a central configuration = system. > >Installing a program on Windows tends to involve finding a webpage, >downloading an (unsigned) binary, and executing it. It doesn't get by >just fine: there's no difference between installing trustworthy >software, and trojans etc. That's one of Windows' many security flaws. I was speaking strictly in terms of binary management within the system. = Does no one understand what context is? Your confusing package management with security. You can easily put trojans, viruses, spyware, or anything you feel like = into a package to be distributed via package management. Just because = UNIX's security system is better, doesn=E2=80=99t mean package = management can't be abused like installers for Windows or OS X can be. = Windows has security issues (severe ones), but its program management is = fine. >A package manager should, imo, just hget a url, confirm its origin >with factotum, untar, and mk install. That's simple enough I think. >It's more about the repository than the manager, really. > >I don't think Plan 9 needs a package manager in its current state >(with contrib, etc), but I think systems with more software benefit >from them. > >cls