Re: Why recovering from broken configs is too hard

Eric S. Raymond
2001-05-03T15:58:32Z

David Mansfield <lkml@dm.ultramaster.com>:
> If so, given the above ruleset involving symbols A, B and C, and given
> that such a ruleset is violated for some reason (you don't even care
> why), use the following approach:
>
> set C to 'n' -> are we ok?
> set B to 'n' -> are we ok?
> set A to 'n' -> are we ok?
>
> Inform the user of each change. In a massively broken configuration you
> could end up with a lot of stuff set to 'n' ultimately, but I think that
> this generally would just end up shutting off troublesome configuration
> settings, and requiring that the user then reset them manually.

Actually this is the best idea I've seen yet, because the single "known-good"
configuration is almost all n values.
--
Eric S. Raymond

Let us hope our weapons are never needed --but do not forget what
the common people knew when they demanded the Bill of Rights: An
armed citizenry is the first defense, the best defense, and the
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If guns are outlawed, only the government will have guns. Only
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our rulers. Only the government -- and a few outlaws. I intend to
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-- Edward Abbey, "Abbey's Road", 1979