Rick Stevens wrote:
On 11/20/2009 12:46 PM, William Case wrote:
Hi;
As I get ready to upgrade/install to F12 an old curiosity question comes
to mind. Fedora now has several programs it has packaged with the
designation 'Kit'. PolicyKit, PackageKit and FirstAidKit come to mind.
I assume it just means a bunch of programs, libraries and dependencies
bundled together.
However, I have never actually seen a definition of a kit. Has it ever
been formally defined? Is it a Fedora/RedHat thing or is 'Kit' used
more generally.
Don't get me wrong, I am not objecting. In fact, I think adding 'Kit'
to a bundle is descriptive and memorable. If there is a definition or
at least a clear understanding of what a 'Kit' means its addition to a
name can be that more informative.
I was just wondering.
It's a cute use of the word. According to the most appropriate
definition in Webster's that I can find, a "kit" was a basket or similar
thing to hold tools relevant to a specific task. By extension, "kit"
also refers to that assortment of tools.
It's also commonly used to refer to an assortment of parts that, when
assembled correctly, become some mechanism or process to accomplish a
specific task or set of tasks.
Or, as I used to say about my old Jaguars, "Ooh! There's a nice bit
of kit!"
America and England, two countries separated by a common language.
For the older generations here in the USofA, the most common use of
'kit' is a box of component parts as opposed to a ready-to-run package.
You take it to a workbench where you already have set out your tools,
supplies, etc. Then you carefully work on each piece, trim it, paint it,
and finally assemble and finish it with whatever technique is called
for. The end result, after much labor and effort, is a complete model,
radio, instrument, or what have you.
Heathkit manufactured some excellent electronics and computer kits. I
built their oscilloscope and a FET based multi-meter. Ten Tec still
makes kits for amateur radios. Revell now makes most of the model cars,
airplanes and ships, having absorbed Monogram somewhere along the way.
Most of the rolling stock in my HO scale railroad collection were or are
kits. In most cases, more than a little assembly was required. I don't
like the idea of downloading kits for computer software, although most
of the major distributions feel a lot like those HO train cars. More
than a little assembly work is required and the instructions always lack
the necessary details.
Bob McConnell
N2SPP
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