[arch-general] My end-user $0.02 on /etc/rc.conf splitting.

[Uli Armbruster]

* fredbezies <fredbezies at gmail.com> [22.07.2012 07:00]:
> Hello.
> 
> I've read all the arguments of Tom and Ionut. Here is my own $0.02 on
> it. When I started using archlinux back in end of 2008, the winning
> point was this file. A centralized one where you can set up a lot of
> single options.
> 
> It is *far* simpler to edit /etc/rc.conf to load daemons or modules
> than editing 2 or 3 files.
> 
> "Killing" /etc/rc.conf can't be do so soon. Or you'll see a lot of old
> users moving their on other distributions. For me it will be a one way
> ticket to fedora. And I *do hate* this idea.
> 
> But developpers must know better than users what is the best for the
> distro. Killing /etc/rc.conf ? Why not. But for me, it is more KISS
> oriented than /etc/locale.conf, /etc/vconsole.conf,
> /etc/modprobe.d/*.conf files.
> 
> As I said, it is my $0.02. Excuse my bad english, I'm no really awake !

In the first moment when seeing those changes I had the same feeling. But after taking some time thinking about it, I changed my mind. Here's why:

- The rc.conf used to be the center of all config files. But this has been changing for quite some time. For example, preventing modules from being loaded could be done in the rc.conf's MODULES line by putting a ! in front. Before this, there was an extra line for modules which should not be loaded. This functionality was removed quite some time ago and nobody really complained. Of course it was much simpler back then, but it's still doable today.
- Many variables in the rc.conf are only touched once in the livetime of an installation. E.g. HOSTNAME, who ever changes that? So you only have to deal with it once, so it's not a big loss, if this isn't configured in the rc.conf anymore.
- _THE_ killer argument for Archlinux is and stays the AUR combined with pacman's capabilities. And pacman improved a LOT over the last months, not just because of signed packages, also e.g. that -U can resolve dependencies etc.
- Arch's own init system is still supported and right now I don't see any signs that this will change. So just adjust your rc.conf or keep it (it still works), but nothing really changes for you.

Those are my $0.02