On 7/23/2015 5:37 AM, Teodoro Santoni wrote:
> Good morning,
>
> On Wed, Jul 22, 2015 at 11:39:23PM -0500, T.J. Duchene wrote:
>> [snip]
>> Multi-seat logins are very useful in situations where users do not understand how to run X11 applications with different user permissions. It is an easy mechanism that is familiar to users from other systems coming over to Linux. You don't have to have it installed on your copy, but having an option is not a bad thing.
>>
> May you expand with an example? I'm truly curious about this argument.
> Prior this day, I just thought it was a nonsense excuse to create an entire
> bizantine framework (CK, PolK) to impede me to shut off my machine from inside
> X. I'm not trolling.
>
> If you deem it useful, it probably is, so I wish to learn more about
> multi-seat logins.
> I thank you and anybody who will spend some time educating me about this argument.
>
>
Hi Theodoro! =)

It's not an "argument" really, just a difference of opinion. (To me, an
"argument" is something quite different.)

UNIX was designed from the beginning to be a multi-user system. That was 
entire reason in creating it, actually.  The concept of "multi-seat" as 
a feature is being able to login and allow multiple users to use the 
same hardware independently. A lot of people would argue that Linux 
already does this, and you don't need a framework for it.  I know this 
and they know it.  It's true.    The Linux multi-seat  software provides 
a framework for the easy setup of hotplug devices, X11 logins, 
permissions, and other things that need to be done to easily provide 
access to more than one user.   Yes, you can do all the setup and 
management manually.  Why should you? The whole point of software is to 
spend more time being actually productive, not reinventing the wheel 
because you have to do every step manually.

What I personally do not understand (and what seems to get me into
trouble) is the animosity toward multi-seat, pulseaudio, or anything
else for that matter. I'm not trying to bring old disagreements back
into the mix, so please let's not go there, ladies and gentlemen. I
just want to expound on something that I think is very important when
discussing multi-seat or anything else in the future. There are other
people besides you and me, and who do not have the skill to do these
things manually. They do not want to be told "RTFM." They just want to
plug the silly thing in and get their work done. I believe that is
reasonable and not asking for too much. If you don't want to use a
package, you don't have to. Multi-seat, Pulseaudio, and even Systemd are
nothing more than tools. If it does not fit the job you are doing,
don't use it. No one wastes time getting angry about a pipewrench
because it can't drive in a nail like a hammer. I hope Devuan enforces
as few requirements as possible, but leaves room for people who want all
the bells and whistles - because you want more people using it, not less.

Linux is a very big place and there is plenty of room for everyone to
play the way that they want to.