GUI server tools?

[David Feldman]

On Nov 17, 2004, at 1:56, volvoguy wrote:

>> That is complete nonsense. I _know_ how to set up a DHCP server and
>> writing a GUI to do a comprehensive job of it might be a challenge. 
>> but
>> mostly people in small networks only want something simple. Some
>> workable defaults and a simple GUI does the job for a lot of people -
>> just consider all the access points, DSL routers and such that have an
>> easily-configured simple DHCP server.
>
> IMHO, editing the config files IS the easiest way to do it - and it
> doesn't require you to worry about whether all the functionality you
> want is built into a GUI.

IMO, editing config files is not something a nontechnical user should 
have to face. It seems daunting, they're not familiar with it, and it 
requires reading documentation. I know how to edit config files, but I 
always forget some of the details. I'd much rather set up my Samba 
server on my Fedora install using their GUI than muck around in 
smb.conf: One of the main advantages of a good GUI is that it's 
self-documenting, effectively telling you what to do as you do it.

There's another reason why letting novices edit config files is a poor 
idea: It's really easy to screw up. I routinely mess up while editing 
my httpd.conf file. I know what to do when that happens. Many users 
might not. Having an interface that prevents catastrophic errors is a 
good thing.

--Dave