Re: [tlug] disk configuration: drive mounting

[Christopher SEKIYA <wileyc@example.com>]

> What the hell is the "Proper Manner"?

Use the right tool for the right job.

Text files are to be edited with text editors.

> She's a lot less intimidated to go to her bookmarked web page and
> use Webmin's Japanese-localized interface to select the options.

Congratulations, you've just given a chainsaw to a three-year-old.

You've missed the entire point, I'm afraid.  The amount of damage that can be done
with these automagical GUI admin tools greatly outweighs the advantages of giving
root-level access to neophytes.

Have you ever had to clean up after an admin tool misfires in the hands of a
quasi-computer-literate person?  I have.  Many times.

If someone cannot understand the process involved in performing a task, that person
should not be doing the task.  If one needs to edit a password file, but cannot be
trusted to su and vipw, one should not be trusted with the task.

> On the TLUG web page, it says "All are welcome."  Is that short for
> "All are welcome to get blasted for wanting this stuff to be more usable"?  

You've completely misunderstood the purpose of a UNIX User Group, I think.  UNIX has
been around for a long, long time.  There are reasons that things are done certain
ways in UNIX.  It's not because UNIX gurus are t00 31337 4u -- it's because the
process has been refined over a number of years.

The purpose of a UG is to impart knowledge on newbies[1].  The goal is education.  If
a question is asked, and a bunch of long-time UNIX sysadmins state that the query is
fundamentally flawed, it's likely that they're right.  Bitching about the openness
(or lack thereof) of the group does not alter that.

See Steve Turnbull's excellent post from last week that explains this far better than
I can.


-- Chris "It's September again.  Shall we revive TUUG?" Sekiya

[1] That and drink copious amounts of alcohol :)