Re: [9fans] devtrace release time

[sqweek <sqweek@gmail.com>]

On Thu, Dec 18, 2008 at 12:52 PM,  <lucio@proxima.alt.za> wrote:
> Uriel is renowned for demanding tools to be released on principle,
> without him having any practical need for them.

 I don't see why uriel having a practical need for them or not is
relevant. I see the relevant question as "does /anyone/ in the
community have a practical need for the tool?".
 That's really hard to answer when the mere fact that the tool exists
is not readily available to the community (how DO we know about the
x86-64 kernel? I think everything I've heard about it has been via
uriel).

>  He lands up sounding
> like a peevish, ungrateful child who just wants more sweets even
> though his hands are already full.

 But unlike a child looking for sweets, uriel isn't complaining for
his own benefit:

> What could he possibly need with devtrace anyway?

 Exactly! His desire is not to get the code for himself, but for the
code to be available for anyone who does want to use/debug/develop it.

 Yes, uriel's manner is abrasive, and it gets old listening to him
make the same complaints over and over. But it boils down to this:
when uriel perceives an inhibitor to plan 9's growth and development,
uriel raises his voice (because no one else will!). Maybe he's not
always right, and maybe his righteous attitude makes him hard to
reason with, but his heart is in the right place.

-sqweek, wishing we could all just get along

PS. Congrats on the release, John/Ron/Aki!