>
> On Mon, 19 Feb 1996, Robert of the smileys wrote:
> > > Would be nice if at boot time 1.3 printed a message warning about
> > > its experimental status.
> >
> > Good idea, just about everyone reads those messages as they scroll past
> > to make sure everything is as it should be.
>
I don't think it's a good stratagy as it will force some people to avoid
this delay screen rather than bugs. Then, if code is not tested by an
average user, how can we have "stable" versions? How many people around are
using XFree86 3.1.2<beta>?
Besides locking up at boot is not good for unattended systems that are supposed
to reboot after power off or crash.
My idea was to avoid BEGINNERS using 1.3. There are people who
install linux for the first time. They know little Unix and have a
hard time configuring their box.
They install 1.3 confiding it is the best version like emacs 19 is
far superior to 1.2.
Configuring things like UUCP or sendmail is difficult enough with a
stable kernel. With a 1.3 you don't know if it is you or the kernel.
Later when all is working they can try 1.3.
And the other day one of them told about being fed up with 1.3 bugs.
The tone was harsh enough I suspect he was thinking Linux is broken
and thinking about returning to greener DOS pastures.
Yes they could read the doc. 1200 pages all included. And they are
excited having at last a real OS, and all the apps who come with it.
So the bestthing is to put it on their noses..
Like print the warning message (Capitalized and blinking if at all
possible), pause the boot 5 seconds (Pentiums scroll too fast
otherwise), continue booting. If they don't read it the first time
they will do a day or another.
This is a 2 lines patch. If one of you find it is a good idea and
knows a maintainer suggest it to him.
When installing my first Linux distribution I installed 1.1. The
paper doc did not mention its status (or I missed it in its 200
pages). And I had to install Linux to read the on-line doc:-).
--Jean Francois Martinez
Intelligent people use Linux. So Bill Gates must be using it.