DESKTOP mode

[Denis Vlasenko]

On Monday 02 October 2006 04:04, Paul Fox wrote:
>  > 
>  > The idea is that we don't want to drown in CONFIG_applet1_FEATURE_x,
>  > CONFIG_applet1_FEATURE_y, CONFIG_applet1_FEATURE_z, CONFIG_applet2_FEATURE_x,
>  > CONFIG_applet2_FEATURE_y, CONFIG_applet2_FEATURE_z...
>  > There are just farr too many of them.
>  > 
>  > Everything which is not likely to be ever needed on
>  > the embedded device, is covered by single CONFIG_DESKTOP
>  > (gzip -v is a good example).
>  > 
>  > However, if some option is under CONFIG_DESKTOP but then
>  > someone feels [s]he really needs to be able to toggle
>  > it separately, okay, send a patch which
>  > (1) introduces new CONFIG_GZIP_FEATURE_V
>  > (2) changes code to be conditionally compiled under it and
>  > (3) adds "select CONFIG_GZIP_FEATURE_V" to CONFIG_DESKTOP entry,
>  > so that selecting CONFIG_DESKTOP=y automagically turns it on too.
>  > 
>  > IOW: introduce individual CONFIGs on as-needed basis.
> 
> i think lumping a whole lot of unrelated options under a single
> vague heading like "desktop" (what's that mean, anyway?)

That means "busybox for Linux machine with common distro installed".
Vast majority of such machines are used as personal desktop boxes.

> is 
> silly.  it's one thing to have separate options, and to put them
> all under one config menu, or even to have a meta-option that
> selects a whole lot of them for you (kind of like bareconfig,
> allconfig, defconfig: i.e., "make desktopconfig".

You reminded me that our Makefile machinery is buggy and needs overhaul. :(

> but putting them 
> all together under one ifdef is just being lazy.

I still don't understand what is silly about it.

"I want to build bbox for wireless router" -> switch CONFIG_DESKTOP off
"I want to build bbox for my Red Hat box" -> switch CONFIG_DESKTOP on

Why do you insist on wading through

switch CONFIG_FEATURE_GZIP_OPTION_V off
switch CONFIG_FEATURE_GUNZIP_OPTION_V off
switch CONFIG_FEATURE_MOUNT_OPTION_S off
   ...two hundred more options skipped...

instead? Do you hate our users? ;)

_All_ these options are practically useless. They are just add
compatibility with scripts which already exist on desktop distors.
--
vda