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  • From: Thomas Orgis <thomas-forum AT orgis.org>
  • To: sm-users AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [SM-Users] menuconfig for casts
  • Date: Tue, 20 Dec 2005 00:19:02 +0100

Am Mon, 19 Dec 2005 16:56:31 +0100
schrieb Ladislav Hagara <ladislav.hagara AT unob.cz>:

> I just have read all this thread

Got some time, eh;-)

> It could be fine if answers could be used globally for all spells. If
> I install xorg I certainly will not install xfree86 and questions
> about it are useless until I have some problems. If I install jpeg or
> libpng I certainly want all spells to use them. Why all graphics spells
> should ask if I really want use jpeg or libpng (optional_depends)?

If you don't care so much, you should be able to leave the default answers.
At least when you have xorg already installed (not sure now if also when it's
just on the install list) the choice of X11-LIBS / SERVER will default to
that one. Libpng/jpeg support should be default on when the lib is there.

My problem is actually that I want to read all the questions when they are
there and tend to disable stuff that I think I won't need (even if disk space
saving shouldn't be the issue when you already keep cache tarballs)... I
think the no-bother policy should work well with a short timeout (a sec? two?
before an unattended cast you can set this low in sorcery and high again
before a cast you really want to take care of).

> I know we have "sorcery default". It could be improved and combined with
> cast (questions).

Indeed: What about an extra key / syntax (there are more on the keyboard than
"y", "n", enter and the numbers) for making the choice the default (p.ex.
"y!" for "Yes! I mean it for now and for the future!"). You usually think
about this default in the casting process... Of course you _could_ shell out
to another vt and do the sorcery (will this affect the current cast?)... but
when you have a too tight timeout you could miss the next question - is there
a pause key (RTFM?) ?

> user after installation only run "cast default-kde or default-gnome,
> ..." and absolutelly NO questions. :-)

You already should have this with letting the default answers unchanged (and
small timeout).


> I want one my student to create small www interface to sorcery (I had
> the similar idea as menuconfig) but for now it is only sci-fi (he is
> very busy or lazy, I do not know :-)).

As far as casting goes, the current way would not map to www/cgi very good...
The config script runs on the server (so no java/flash applet, which would be
a bad thing anyway)... You could easily turn every question into one
cgi-generated html form, but this yould really be a lot more tedious than
ssh-ing into the server and doing the console way.
The various insider's posts convinced me that the overall coherent, nonlinear
menu, is very unlikely to be built over the free (turing-complete...) batch
scripts. I'd now try the revolution from the basis: Writing my own spells
(yes, I have some software that I can make spells for;-) in a way that the
spell-level configuration is user friendly non-linear while keeping the
control.

Nevertheless, one can spend some time thinking about different interfaces,
but please be patient with your student when he has problems implementing the
killer interface for casting... The sorcery menu as known on the console /
through the sorcery command should be mappable to a www interface, though. I
don't see the dynamic problems there, while I must admit that I'd rather use
a ssh session / terminal.


Thomas.




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