[ale] for all you systemd haters...

[Solomon Peachy]

On Fri, Feb 16, 2018 at 02:12:33PM -0500, Steve Litt via Ale wrote:
> Systemd originator and evangelizer in chief Lennart Poettering has
> never been shy in stating his dislike of Linux, often going so far as
> to negatively compare Linux to Mac and even Windows. Yeah Windows. And
> it's clear that systemd makes Linux systems it has been installed on
> more like Windows, in terms of reduced diy, and increased program to
> program interdependencies. 

(If you're referring to what I think you are..)

Windows Vista introduced seamless shared audio output, capable of 
switching to different output devices, per-application volume control, 
even for applications written against the very first WaveOut audio APIs 
introduced in the Win16 days.  It Just Worked(tm).

So is it somehow bad to acknowledge that Windows or Macs genuinely did 
something better and provided a superior user experience, and attempt to 
address that deficiency in Linux systems?  (With two major audio APIs, 
three or four incompatible sound servers, and a whole load of 
buggy-with-not-quite-the-same-quirks audio drivers to wrangle )

Another example.  Is it somehow bad to acknowlede that Windows had 
objectively superior multi-desktop-users-logged-in-simultaneously 
support, and attempt to improve that?

Meanwhile, I'd caution you against blaming Pottering for "increased 
program to program interdependencies" as that's a property of all 
systems and it well predates his birth. You might as well try to blame 
him for water being wet, for that would make as about much sense.

> Poettering has several times suggested ignoring and breaking POSIX, an 
> underpinning of all things UNIXy including Linux, for the last 30 
> years.

POSIX and UNIX are not some holy documents beyond reproach, nor do they 
represent the absolute pinnacle of what can ever be achieved.

They both have many warts, in design and implementation, and their 
abstrations break down all the damn time.  Even the creators of both 
acknoweldge that.

As an aside, Linus Torvalds often advocates for ignoring or otherwise 
breaking POSIX.  Or are you seriously going to claim that Torvalds also 
doesn't know what underpins Linux?

> Poettering doesn't like Linux and created systemd to make Linux less
> Linux. A person who likes Linux would therefore not like systemd.

By that same logic dropping a high output crate motor into my truck to 
make it more capable means that I don't like my truck, instead of 
showing that I like it more than is probably healthy.

Yeah, Pottering hates Linux so much he's spent the past fifteen years 
improving it.  We should all be so lucky to have folks like him that 
hate the things we use every day.

 - Solomon
-- 
Solomon Peachy			       pizza at shaftnet dot org
Coconut Creek, FL                          ^^ (email/xmpp) ^^
Quidquid latine dictum sit, altum videtur.
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