Description of problem: While debugging my new Swedish translations for procps-ng, I had reason to build the current version from git. I then realized the Fedora version is configured with the "--disable-modern-top" flag. Is there some good reason for that? Typically in Fedora I thought we try to follow upstreams, and to use new features as soon as possible. To stay with an old interface seems to contrast with the core value "first". I can understand if we don't change this in a branched release, but should really this flag be used in the rawhide version? Version-Release number of selected component (if applicable): procps-ng-3.3.10-15.fc27
Yes, this is discussed and (supposed to be) planned change. Thank you for your interest. Modern top shall be activated in rawhide during update to procps-ng-3.3.13 as early as upstream releases it.
(In reply to Göran Uddeborg from comment #0) > Description of problem: > While debugging my new Swedish translations for procps-ng, I had reason to > build the current version from git. I then realized the Fedora version is > configured with the "--disable-modern-top" flag. > > Is there some good reason for that? Typically in Fedora I thought we try to > follow upstreams, and to use new features as soon as possible. To stay with > an old interface seems to contrast with the core value "first". > > I can understand if we don't change this in a branched release, but should > really this flag be used in the rawhide version? > > > Version-Release number of selected component (if applicable): > procps-ng-3.3.10-15.fc27 Hello, just to express my opinion, I agree that the bars and colours are useful and nice to look at, but removing --disable-modern-top will also enable tree view by default. Maybe I just haven't found its real potential yet, but the use of tree view kind of negates the purpose of 'top' itself. By default it does not show the topmost consumer of system resources, instead, it shows the process tree structure, which is the purpose of 'pstree'. I'm considering a default .conf file to keep bars, colours and top-use-sorted processes at the same time. I'd be glad for any comments.
I was also surprised by that particular change, and quickly made myself a toprc file while testing. As it makes two of us being surprised, I've brought it up on the upstreams mailing list. (https://www.freelists.org/post/procps/Forest-mode-by-default-in-top-seems-a-bit-strange)
This bug appears to have been reported against 'rawhide' during the Fedora 28 development cycle. Changing version to '28'.
I have been contemplating this for some time and after a consultation with the plumbers team I've decided to not activate colors and bars in top. The first reason is that a default color selection would either depend on my personal subjective preference or maybe a result of some kind of poll on fedora-devel ML, which does not guarantee a short-term concensus. The second and important reason is that there are many users used to current look of top as it was for countless years. Some even parse it in their scripts, however unlikely it sounds. Removal of new default settings (i.e. removal of /etc/<toprc>) does not seem convenient enough so that the change would not result in rageful feedback and the interface of top is not (please excuse me for that expression) user-friendly enough to return top to look exactly as it used to. If users want colorful and bar-equipped top, they can always read the manpage or hit 'h' to see basic commands and set the environment to their liking, save their setup and even share the rc file. I know we are missing a chance to be the first distro to have colorful top, but trading it for clarity/compatibility does not look like what we want to offer. I would compare it to selling a car with rainbow cover sheets on the seats by default. Except the sheets would be sewed to the seats.
I see your points. I don't necessarily agree, but I do see the points. As you're the packager, you of course decide in the end.