Re: LPP (was: The new X-Kernel !)

[Abraham vd Merwe <abraham@2d3d.co.za>]

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Hi Tim!

> > How would hiding that information make the system "easier to use" ?   
> 
> Because the majority of people (and especially those who haven't been reached 
> by Linux yet) don't care for the messages. They are as interested in boot 
> messages as you may be in reading debug information from your DVD player or 
> car. 
> 
> Assuming you have a car with a display for the embedded computer, and you 
> don't know anything about its software or hardware, you just want to drive. 
> Would you prefer to see lots of cryptic messages when you turn the key, or 
> just some simple picture with a progress bar showing you when the system is 
> ready?
> IMHO the bar is all you need. Everything else just distracts you from the 
> only important thing. 
> 
> Showing unimportant information is like turning on debug messages that you 
> don't need.

Interesting you should mention this analogy. Incidently, I would've
preferred that my car give me a detail analysis of what's wrong. In fact, it
would've been such a cool feature that it would be reason enough to sell my
car and by that one (I could save myself years of arguing with incompetent
mechanics).

I suspect most people on this list feel the same as me and also feel that
kernel debugging messages is not only a feature, but essential!

See the difference between the O/S in question and the one you might be
confusing it with is that this O/S was (and still is) written and being
maintained by technical people. These kind of people like to know what's
going on. It also happens that the primary audience for these people's work
is themselves (us) and NOT novices - that my friend, is a bonus, not the
sole aim of the exercise.


-- 

Regards
 Abraham

You can't run away forever,
But there's nothing wrong with getting a good head start.
		-- Jim Steinman, "Rock and Roll Dreams Come Through"

__________________________________________________________
 Abraham vd Merwe - 2d3D, Inc.

 Device Driver Development, Outsourcing, Embedded Systems

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