[OT] Debian mailinglists [was: RE: Debian or Ubuntu?]

[Bart Silverstrim]

Steve Lamb wrote:
> On Tue, May 20, 2008 6:49 am, Derek Broughton wrote:
>> Don't be a moron.  Of _course_ we trust programmers.  We trust them all the
>> time, or we wouldn't even be using this OS.  We trust Open Source
>> programmers even more because we can audit their code.  Anybody who thinks
>> it's safer to edit a config file by hand than with a GUI isn't on my hiring
>> list.  There's a very good reason that /etc/sudoers contains this warning:
> 
>     And you call me the moron?

I don't know if this contributes one way or the other, but I would 
contribute this...

When doing a lot of tasks as administrator at the CLI, it isn't hard to 
get repetitive tasks stuck in muscle memory, and it's AMAZING how fast 
you can type "rm -fr *", hit enter, and became aware of various colorful 
metaphors flowing through your mental self's voice all in a fraction of 
a second.

On the other hand I've easily moved whole directories to the wrong place 
with a bad mouse drag.

"Safer" is still a question of implementation, so far. No one has 
debated the merits or demerits of GUI vs. CLI administration, only their 
experiences with existing approaches and tools, nothing intrinsic to the 
interfaces themselves.

A click on a GUI interface makes sure you don't introduce typos in your 
configuration files. Isn't that safer? CLI tools mean another easier way 
to access a FUBAR'd interface for remote administration if 
necessary...just ssh in and work away. Isn't that a safety net?

Why not just stop fighting over it and stick with config files editable 
by <text editor> but can also be done with a good graphical editor if 
you like?