Path: sparky!uunet!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu! usenet.INS.CWRU.Edu!po.CWRU.Edu!mal11 From: ma...@po.CWRU.Edu (Matthew A. Lewis) Newsgroups: comp.os.linux Subject: DISASTER AT MIT!!!!! Date: 1 Sep 1992 23:18:34 GMT Organization: Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH (USA) Lines: 13 Message-ID: <180toaINNnaa@usenet.INS.CWRU.Edu> Reply-To: ma...@po.CWRU.Edu (Matthew A. Lewis) NNTP-Posting-Host: thor.ins.cwru.edu Someone seriously need to do some housekeeping in the LINUX directories on TSX-11.MIT.EDU. It's a wreck. Anyone up to it??????? -- MaThiEu a. LeWis "There is no middle ground/Or that's how it seems/For Thieves Like Us us to walk or to take/Instead we tumble down/Either ma...@po.cwru.edu side left or right/To love or to hate." -A Strange Kind of Love
Path: sparky!uunet!gumby!wupost!psuvax1!psuvm!mxd120 Organization: Penn State University X-Subliminal-Message: oomogswoc rules!!!! Date: Wed, 2 Sep 1992 13:02:56 EDT From: Beaker <MXD...@psuvm.psu.edu> Message-ID: <92246.130256MXD120@psuvm.psu.edu> Newsgroups: comp.os.linux Subject: Re: DISASTER AT MIT!!!!! References: <180toaINNnaa@usenet.INS.CWRU.Edu> Lines: 23 In article <180toaINN...@usenet.INS.CWRU.Edu>, ma...@po.CWRU.Edu (Matthew A. Lewis) says: > >Someone seriously need to do some housekeeping in the LINUX directories >on TSX-11.MIT.EDU. It's a wreck. > This is a very selfish thing to say. For one thing, the maintainer of tsx-11 is keeping the archives out of his own kind heart. Second, what is wrong with them? IMHO, everything is where it should be. It's not like there are 10,000 files in /pub/linux. There is also a ls-ltr file there if you get confused with all the nested directories. Just get the file, and print it out on a line printer. Tsx-11 is also set up with symbolic links to make life easier. Someone also mentioned about using descriptors for the directory structure. This would be more trouble than it would be worth. For one thing, someone has to make all of the descriptions. More important, linux is not supposed to be a system for beginning unix users. Just about any unix user should be able to recognize a file like groff.tar.Z as the GNU version of nroff. --Beaker
Path: sparky!uunet!newsserver.pixel.kodak.com!kodak!eastman!ashleigh!talley From: tal...@ashleigh.Kodak.COM (Brian K. Talley) Newsgroups: comp.os.linux Subject: Re: DISASTER AT MIT!!!!! Summary: no it isn't Message-ID: <3598@eastman.UUCP> Date: 3 Sep 92 13:35:03 GMT References: <180toaINNnaa@usenet.INS.CWRU.Edu> <92246.130256MXD120@psuvm.psu.edu> Sender: n...@eastman.UUCP Followup-To: comp.os.linux Organization: Eastman Kodak Co., Rochester, NY Lines: 66 In article <92246.130256MXD...@psuvm.psu.edu> MXD...@psuvm.psu.edu (Beaker) writes: >In article <180toaINN...@usenet.INS.CWRU.Edu>, ma...@po.CWRU.Edu (Matthew A. >Lewis) says: >> >>Someone seriously need to do some housekeeping in the LINUX directories >>on TSX-11.MIT.EDU. It's a wreck. > >This is a very selfish thing to say. For one thing, the maintainer of >tsx-11 is keeping the archives out of his own kind heart. Second, Well, yes, it is kinda selfish, and yes, the maintainer is doing a Good Thing by allowing us to use his machine. >what is wrong with them? IMHO, everything is where it should be. It's While I don't think anything *needs* to be done (everything is in it's place), there's a little bit of work that could be done to perhaps make things a little easier to understand. By this I mean filenames could be more descriptive and older versions could be moved to subdirectories. >not like there are 10,000 files in /pub/linux. There is also a ls-ltr >file there if you get confused with all the nested directories. Just >get the file, and print it out on a line printer. This is fine if you know what you're looking for. Granted each file appears to be explained in either the README or FAQ for a given package. [stuff deleted] >Someone also mentioned about using descriptors for the directory structure. >This would be more trouble than it would be worth. Agreed. [more stuff deleted] > More important, linux is not >supposed to be a system for beginning unix users. Just about any unix 'Scuse me? Why not? What's with MCC and SLS, then? Nice, painless procedures designed for DOS pups, no? Linux is not a finished, polished, finely tuned OS yet, despite it's stability and the number of features, and some rough edges may screw up those beginning to use Unix, but I think Linux is an excellent way to introduce folks to Unix! >user should be able to recognize a file like groff.tar.Z as the GNU >version of nroff. That's easy. It's things like 2.2.2dfix5.tar.Z or 2.2.2dg1.tar.Z that aren't necessarily readily apparent even to those familiar with Unix. As I said above, these files are explained in the FAQs and READMEs. > >--Beaker It may be unclear what each file on tsx-11:/pub/linux does, and if it's so unclear you can't deal with it, then stick to SLS, read and re-read the FAQs, ask questions, etc., but don't say the site is a mess. The canned installation packages exist for folks unfamiliar with Unix who want to give Unix a try, and folks who don't have the desire/time to futz around looking for everything from different ftp sites. --Brian __________ Brian Talley, Systems Consultant, Eastman Kodak Research Labs, Rochester, NY tal...@ashleigh.kodak.com
Newsgroups: comp.os.linux Path: sparky!uunet!snorkelwacker.mit.edu!bloom-picayune.mit.edu!daemon From: ty...@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Theodore Ts'o) Subject: Re: DISASTER AT MIT!!!!! Message-ID: <1992Sep3.185950.8587@athena.mit.edu> Sender: dae...@athena.mit.edu (Mr Background) Reply-To: ty...@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Theodore Ts'o) Organization: The Internet Date: Thu, 3 Sep 1992 18:59:50 GMT Lines: 47 From: tal...@ashleigh.Kodak.COM (Brian K. Talley) Date: 3 Sep 92 13:35:03 GMT >user should be able to recognize a file like groff.tar.Z as the GNU >version of nroff. That's easy. It's things like 2.2.2dfix5.tar.Z or 2.2.2dg1.tar.Z that aren't necessarily readily apparent even to those familiar with Unix. You neglected to mention that those files were in in the /pub/linux/packages/GCC subdirectory..... that makes it a little bit more obvious what the files, are, no? In any case, that subdirectory is entirely maintained by H.J., so if you have any problems with it, you can take it up with him. However.... .... let me point out, that most of the people who have spent time working on Linux are doing so because it is fun. Certainly, I am not getting paid for this. Having people tell me in public that my FTP server is "A DISASTER" is not terribly conducive to making it fun for me to run TSX-11 as a Linux FTP server. After all, I'd much rather be kernel hacking. :-) So if something about Linux bothers you, I encourage you to think about (1) how much you've paid for Linux, and (2) exactly what you owe the other person and what the other person owes you. If you wish to make friends and influence people, you would probably do well to think twice before saying or writing something inflamtory or insulting to them, especially in a public forum. Speaking for myself, I certainly don't mind _polite_ suggestions sent to me privately, or even not-so-polite suggestions sent via private email (although those I may still delete before reading). If you find something on TSX-11 which doesn't work, or which you believe is obselete, please send mail to ftp-li...@TSX-11.MIT.EDU. INCLUDE THE FULL PATHNAME OF THE FILE AND WHY YOU THINK IT IS OBSOLETE. If someone wants to write INDEX files with a one-line description of each file in a particular directory, go ahead and do so. If you send it to ftp-li...@TSX-11.MIT.EDU, and if it is accurate, I will be more than happy to install it. Before I close, I want to extend my thanks to all of the people who sent me supportive letters, either publically in comp.os.linux or privately via email. It's always nice to get some appreciative letters instead of some flames. :-) - Ted