Re: [tlug] disk configuration: drive mounting

[Matt Doughty <mdoughty@example.com>]

On Sun, Apr 07, 2002 at 08:51:37PM +0900, Jonathan Q wrote:
> Marlo Rocci (comslave@example.com) wrote:
> 
> >  nevermind, found it.
> 
> Before you use it, go back and read that part Jim wrote about it
> messing up /etc/fstab, then ask yourself if you really want to use
> a tool that has been known to break exactly the file that you want
> to modify.
> 
> Modifying fstab isn't rocket science.  It isn't even hard.  It 
> takes less time to figure out how to edit it than it does to
> download a graphical frontend, install it,  and learn to use it.
> Not to mention all the time you spend recovering your system after
> the graphical client breaks fstab :-)
> 
Well, I think he said it had been solid for fstab, but that isn't really
the point now is it? As you noted before the dangers are endless:

1. a program listening on a port that allows people to reconfigure the
   computer.

2. the possibility that it could "get it wrong" and leave you with an
   unusable system are more that enough reason to steer far away.

It is even worse to use it to configure programs because you don't know
how to do it by hand.  If something goes wrong you probably won't know
where to look to fix or even what it should look like should you find it.
In general I think one should never use webmin, but that is a personal
preference.  It is however a fact that you should not use webmin to do
something you can't figure out how to do by hand. That is asking for distaster
and if you kill your system using webmin don't come back look for sympathy
or help because you will find none here.  PCD(point, click, drool) 
administration is one of NT's biggest weaknesses.  It continues to allow
people with know idea what they are doing to put up a semblance of admin
a box.  I fear the day that the community follows MS down that particulary
ugly path.  If you can't configure it by hand RTFM.

--Matt 
-- 
"Take away them collisions and the common channel and it's like Christianity 
 without Christ." -Jim Breen (speaking about "full-duplex" Ethernet)