Re: (clug-talk) Should the unix fs be hidden from desktop users?

[b-r-i-a-n -]

Hello,

The question weather to �hide� the file system or not is a good one, but slightly over shadows the bigger picture. Admittedly there are many different ways in which the file system can be �hidden� to the end user. Whether one looks at Apple�s approach, or Microsoft�s approach is somewhat trivial at this point.

A method of hiding the file system may be a way to immediately draw new people to Linux, but undoubtedly this would cause seasoned Linux users a great degree of disgust. If the �hiding� of the Linux file system is to occur then there are other steps and considerations that need to be taken into account first.

It seems to me that the Linux / Open Source community has a very perfectionist nature. I see this trait as a quality. If one doesn�t strive to make their software the best it can be then undoubtedly the community as a whole will opt to use other software. It�s almost like a survival of the fittest type game in the open source world. This very nature is what differentiates Linux from Windows and MacOS. Every aspect and component of Linux is being developed with this perfectionist attitude. As a result Linux is a constantly evolving operating system at many levels.

The constant evolution of an operating system, in my mind, is an attribute. It allows for a high degree of resiliency. The sooner design flaws and bugs can be dealt with; the sooner users can get on with their lives. In a systems department this may translate to less down time if bugs are fixed quickly. When design flaws are found and resolved this helps the usability and stability of the operating system. The more a system is up and functioning properly the more reliable it is said to be, and hence Linux by nature is a reliable operating system. The more usable an operating system is, for the lowest common denominator, the less money organizations have to spend on training users. It is for this reason that as Linux matures, more organizations are or are considering adopting the operating system.

Of course the reason for the constant evolution is due to the openness of the source code. With open source code organizations can customize software to meet their specific needs. As more organizations are attracted to open source projects, the more development is done, and then (normally) that code is re-released back into the community. The more organizations that use open source software, the more credibility and respect is gained. Under what other circumstances could one possibly hope to harness such a vast number of developers on an almost a global scale? It is my belief that this is the reason that companies such as Microsoft now see our community as their number one �competitor�.

With all this development and evolution of the Linux operating system comes a degree of chaos, primarily because of the sheer size of the project. This chaos thankfully is relatively negligible compared to what it could be otherwise. Much kudos to Linus Trovalds and the like who have given the Linux kernel such a structured development path. Other popular open source projects appear to be emulating this development approach. GUI / desktop projects such as KDE and Gnome could not exist without a high degree of coordination, cooperation, and structure as these projects are very complex.

This brings me back to the Linux file system. First and foremost I think that it is important for Linux developers to concentrate on de-cluttering the file system. Once that is done, and only after that is done should we look at �hiding� the file system. If the community as a whole likes this �hiding� feature then it will be adopted. If on the other hand the community views this feature as unnecessary then it will disappear into /dev/null. The important thing is to not automatically assume that something is a bad idea. A focal part to development of Linux, however, is not skipping important steps. I believe that the de-cluttering of the Linux file system is an important step.

Disclaimer: These are just my opinions and views.

- Brian H. -


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