Re: [9fans] browse /sys/src

[Vester Thacker <vester.thacker@gmail.com>]

On Wed, 26 Jan 2005 15:44:37 +0900, Kenji Okamoto
<okamoto@granite.cias.osakafu-u.ac.jp> wrote:
> I should be more full to explain my thoughts on this issue.
> 
> 1) Do we need to expertize Plan 9 distribution more?
> 
>         No, these decade history of Plan 9 revealed we don't.
>         Plan 9 is for someone who really want it.

We can agree to disagree, but I say 'Yes' to the question. There are
areas where Plan 9 needs to be improved to stay current. I believe it
is important to change with the times. For example, more and more
machines today are sold without a floppy drive. This makes it
difficult to pass parameters, as with an edited plan9.ini on a boot
floppy, if you're doing a CD only install. Of course, Plan 9 can still
be installed but at a greater cost in time and effort. Why not revise
a method/tool if it is possible? Having an installation that also
serves as an aptitude test is a dumb idea.  "A program should do one
thing well", I forgot who said that originally.

> 2) sources is not enough for dowloading things for us?
> 
>         I don't think so.
>         It seems not so large amount of downloders of Plan 9.☺

Viewing sources via http and seeing changes over time is helpful to
some people. Granted, not everyone is a programmer. But if a few
programmers find it useful, then I say why not give them an easy to
view resource.

On another note, I wonder how often Plan 9 sources will appear when
doing a Google search for a C reserve word. ;-)

> 3) Do we need another host to prepare when the sources will appear?
> 
>         Maybe.  if so, Yamanashi-san がんばれ!

It never hurts to be prepared.  If Lucent was ever to give up Plan 9
and request the Plan 9 community to move the source tree out of the
Labs, then Plan 9 would have a happy home in Japan. Of course, only if
it meets the approval of the Plan 9 community. ;-)

> 4) Other downlod site may make the difficulty more?
> 
>         Yes, now it's not so easy to maintain the consistency between
>         source trees.

There is only one true source tree, the one at Lucent, everything else
is a mirror image. Consistency is an issue, but a manageable one.

-vester