Documentation?

[Tuomo Valkonen]

On 2009-04-07, Daniel Stone <daniel at fooishbar.org> wrote:
> On Tue, Apr 07, 2009 at 12:01:42PM +0000, Tuomo Valkonen wrote:
>> that need root access to modify.
>
> That or an ability to read documentation.

A 1000 page developer document for a simple setting. YUP.
That is indeed the typical approach to everything in Linux
these days. fontconfig, udev, Xft, HAL, everything. Even gtk
itself has all the simplest configuration documentation hidden
within API documentation.

No thanks. The best configuration files are the self-documenting
ones. In Linux/FOSS these days, it's essentially complicated _program
source code_ in a fancy non-programming language (XML) syntax that 
is  supposed to be used for configuration as well. It screams out
loud: POWER USERS: VANISH! THIS OS IS FOR DEVELOPERS AND 
UNDEMANDING IDIOT USERS ONLY!

-- 
In 1995, Linux was almost a bicycle; an alternative way of live to the
Windows petrol beasts that had to be taken to the dealer for service.
By 2008, Linux has bloated into a gas-guzzler, and the cycle paths 
have been replaced with polluted motorways.