[openbeos] Re: Singleuser vs Multiuser
- From: "Daniel Reinhold" <danielr@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: openbeos@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Thu, 13 Dec 2001 13:32:55 CST
In my mind, BeOS is a single-user, desktop OS. If we can make a few
minor changes to accomodate having different user settings with
separate logins, etc. that is fine. But trying to make BeOS into a
server OS (which is what mult-user entails) is a whole different thing.
They say a camel is a horse designed by a committee. Let's not design a
camel. The BeOS cannot be everything everybody might want it to be, and
that's just as well. There are plenty of high quality, free server OS's
for Intel machines. We don't need to compete there. Let's not waste our
time trying. Let's create a kick-ass desktop OS. That pretty much means
single user.
>>>There are actually quite a few things BeOS brings to the table that
the
>>>server OS's don't provide. Like the attribute support and the easy
to
>>>understand system. I'm using BeOS as a server and it works fine, as
long
>>>as the net_server doesn't crash.
>>
>>There are certainly advantages to BeOS, whether as a server or as a
>>client. I think, though, that you lose most of the strengths of BeOS
as a
>>server, though (GUI, sound, etc).
>
>Even if BeOS gets me some small advantage in the server stuff, I don't
>care about losing most of the other strengths of BeOS.
>
>>But recognize that it is a *TON* of work to be a secure server. Being
>>perfectly secure is not a bad goal. Neither is being a great game
>>machine. Neither is having the slickest UI. Neither is having the
fastest
>>file access.
>>
>>The question is more of priority and preference. The way *I* see it
(and
>>this is my personal preference), there are no usable desktop OS's
anymore
>>(other than R5). That should be our highest priority. Security is a
good
>>thing. So is, say, OpenGL. So is better UI code. So is more drivers,
etc.
>>With limited resources, we have to decide (post-R1) what our
priorities
>>are and where we want to spend time.
>
>Oh, I'm not disputing that. I was disputing your statement that mulit-
user
>is of no use to BeOS. Ok, you might not have said it that strongly,
but it
>was in that general direction.
>
>>>Also, real multi-user is more than just a server gimmick.
>>>It means that if someone hacks into your machine through whichever
port
>>is
>>>open, they won't immediately have access to your entire computer.
>>
>>Don't leave your ports open. :-) If you are not a server, close all
of
>>your ports. One of the things that is so cool about BeOS is that all
of
>>the ports are closed be default.
>
>Don't be so naive. You can't ignore the internet. If you're on the
>internet, people can hack your machine and if they become root in
doing
>so, you're toast.
>
>Mark
>
Other related posts:
