Re: summer of code ideas

[Mike Gran <spk121@yahoo.com>]

From: Mark H Weaver <mhw@netris.org>
>To: Jose A. Ortega Ruiz <jao@gnu.org>
>Cc: guile-devel@gnu.org
>Sent: Monday, March 7, 2011 5:10 PM
>Subject: Re: summer of code ideas
>
>>"Jose A. Ortega Ruiz" <jao@gnu.org> writes:
>>>    (use-modules (url://a-url.com library module #:optional a-rev-number))
>>
>> FWIW, i think this is a bad idea.  It intermingles two concerns that are
>> othogonal, namely installing a package and using it.
>
>I very strongly agree with jao.  Systems like this, e.g. Python Eggs,
>have been a major headache for distributions to deal with.  Debian
>actually takes the time to disable this automatic downloading and
>installing functionality from their Python packages, and I'm glad for
>it.  I am very security conscious, and the thought of software being
>automatically installed "on-demand" from untrusted sources when I run a
>program, or maybe even when I first use some particular functionality of
>that program, is very disconcerting.

I think people are conflating 'an idea' with 'the idea' here.  The call was
for possible SOC ideas.

At my work, we sometimes operate this way: field engineers use client
programs that are rather like AJAX webapps.  The head office updates a
server.  It works for us.

I didn't suggest that for all time Guile must officially such a system.

Sheesh.

-Mike