The future of fortune(6)

[Benno Rice]

> On Nov 22, 2017, at 09:35, Steve Kargl <sgk at troutmask.apl.washington.edu> wrote:
> 
> On Wed, Nov 22, 2017 at 08:29:46AM -0800, Benno Rice wrote:
>> 
>> With the removal of the fortune datfiles I think it’s time to
>> have a discussion about fortune(6).
> 
> There should have been a discussion before the removal, but
> your method prevented an inevitable bikeshed.

You’re correct in that my intent was to avoid pointless discussion. We’ve got bigger and more fun things to work on than coming up with an editorial policy as to what is or isn’t appropriate in the fortune datfiles.

>> fortune now defaults to using a fortune file that no longer exists:
> 
> When functionality is removed from src, a port is usually created.
> The datfiles should be available from ports/games/bsd-fortune.

Feel free to create it. If someone else wants to take editorial responsibility for those files I’m all for it. FreeBSD should not be taking responsibility for them and I don’t wish to take that responsibility either.

>> $ fortune
>> No fortunes found in /usr/share/games/fortune:/usr/local/share/games/fortune.
>> 
>> fortune is still used in the default .login/.profile to show entries
>> from the still existing freebsd-tips:
>> 
>> $ grep fortune /usr/share/skel/*
>> /usr/share/skel/dot.login:if ( -x /usr/bin/fortune ) /usr/bin/fortune freebsd-tips
>> /usr/share/skel/dot.profile:if [ -x /usr/bin/fortune ] ; then /usr/bin/fortune freebsd-tips ; fi
>> $ fortune freebsd-tips
>> If you need a reminder to leave your terminal, type "leave +hhmm" where
>> "hhmm" represents in how many hours and minutes you need to leave.
>> 		-- Dru <genesis at istar.ca>
>> 
>> fortune also still has flags for showing offensive entries and the like.
>> 
> 
> What is offensive to one person may not offend another person.  What
> if someone objects to quotes by Dru (sorry Dru looks like you got 
> picked at random above).  The above looks like an attack on people
> with memory loss issues (age discrimination?).  Will you remove Dru's
> quotes?

Nice try. The freebsd-tips collection has some useful stuff which is why I put forward the idea of keeping it. Comments like this are exactly why I got rid of everything else.

>> I would like people’s opinion on which of the following two paths we
>> should take:
>> 
>> 1) Complete removal of fortune and freebsd-tips, remove its usage from
>> the default .login/.profile files.
> 
> Create ports/games/bsd-fortune.

Be my guest.

>> 2) Reworking fortune(6) to remove the offensive fortune flag and
>> make freebsd-tips the default, possibly by symlinking it as
>> /usr/share/games/fortune/fortunes.
> 
> 3) Restore the datfiles.  Add a WITHOUT_FORTUNE knob and set it
>   as the default.  This allows an individual to tailor her system
>   to meet her needs without having others force a politically 
>   correct revisionist history on them.

Oh please. If you want the datfiles they’re there in history. If you want to be the one distributing them, go ahead. I’m fairly sure that the availability of quotes regarding, or by, Hitler or anyone else has been diminished by a rounding error or less by us no longer distributing the datfiles. FreeBSD is an operating system, not an encyclopedia.

> This will be my one and only post in this bikeshed.  Given the 
> sudden removal of the datfiles without discussion.  This appears
> to be a perfunctory discussion prior to you pursuing your own
> choice.

Think of me whatever you want, I’m not fussed. I’m asking with 100% honest intentions what the community wants to do with this tool. If the consensus is for retaining fortune for use with the freebsd-tips datfile then I’m absolutely cool with that.

I made a unilateral decision to remove a potential source of pointless distraction. I could’ve unilaterally removed fortune entirely at that point but I didn’t as the freebsd-tips aspect appears to have actual utility and is something we can easily manage. The other files weren’t. If they’re important to you, please feel free to check out either r325781 (if you want the files) or r325095 (if you want the files with the Hitler quotes) and maintain them yourself.

Cheers,
	Benno.