[KLUG Advocacy] Linux turning into Windows?

[Adam Tauno Williams]

> I can't decide if this is a good idea or a bad one.  They make a good
> case for converting all program configs into a registry, but the Windows
> registry left such a bad taste in my mouth, I don't know if I can
> stomach such a change.  Thoughts?

Don't judge a concept based upon a specific implementation.

GNOME uses GConf, which is a registry.  So far GConf has been wonderful to me, 
MUCH better then tweaking myriad text files under .gnome, etc...  

XML based registries are good because schema can FORBID conflicting or
impossible schemas or scream and holler about missing required elements. 
Whereas many current <cough>SASL</cough> services just sort of silently go
kerplop and leave you going "Huh?  Why doesn't the *@&$*(U@*()&$%@ thing work!"

LDAP is a registry,  it can do wonders for managing configuration.  Upcoming
versions can enforce referential integrity and do triggering so something like
deleting a user automatically deletes them from all groups, mail aliases, etc...
so you can quitely grow consistency problems (which are a wonderful way to
create security holes).

I AM ALL FOR THE "REGISTRY" IDEA!  TEXT FILES SUCK!  They don't suck as much as
BINARY files (The Windows registry), but being not-ugly != being beautiful.

I think building a special key/value system for making a global registry is just
dumb.  LDAP & SLP with optional Kerberos are well established and tested.  But
this gee-i-think-ill-reinvent-the-wheel bent of Open Source seems unfatigable; 
they'll waste some man-weeks, give up, and accomplish consuming some sourceforge
disk space - much like the myriad Open Source groupware projects that reached
version 0.9.9 and fall over.

"Configurations then are no more represented by 'configuration files', but by
key-value pairs organized in a structured tree commited to some naming
convetions." --- boy that reminds me of somethin.... LDAP!  This claims "Is NOT
an alternative to network information systems like LDAP or NIS.".... Uhm.... Ok.
   Ford and Toyota both make cars.  But Toyota's Prias is not an alternative to
a Ford Taurus.  I mean, sure they are both cars, and both go from point A to
point B on those things called roads.  Yea, they both have four tires and
require a driver.  Ok, yep, they both have head lights..... 

They'll discover that knowing nothing about content and offering 'simplicity'
will make this basically useless because of all those wierd edge conditions the
universe like to create.  This is Apple's NetInfo or OpenLDAP 1.x.x - both of
which the world has abandoned (or is in the process of abandoning) because of
all the problems they couldn't solve.  This has been hashed out ad infinitum in
various directory services forums.

> ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
> http://freshmeat.net/projects/registry/?branch_id=48188&release_id=153479
> http://registry.sourceforge.net/
> http://registry.sourceforge.net/spec/html/registry.html
> The Linux Registry 0.0.9 (Default)
> About:
> The Linux Registry is an alternative back-end for text configuration
> files.  Instead of each program having its own text configuration files,
> the Registry tries to provide a universal and secure framework for 
> configuration parameters in a hierarchical key-value pair mechanism.
> This way, any program can read and save its configuration using a
> consistent API and can be aware of other applications configurations,
> permitting easy application integration.