> A question that arises out of this is, should the 90% use cases be handled by a small, simple tool, or by the tip of the iceberg of a large, complex tool such as curl?
But nobody is forced to use curl? People use it because it’s convenient, shoot them selves in the foot and then lash out at the author the tool for their own choices. Where’s the fault?
I like curl, but this isn't true. When you're SSH-ing onto a box, you often don't have permissions to install your favorite CLI tool, and even if you do have said permissions it's inconvenient to have to install it each time you SSH onto the box (not a major inconvenience, mind you). Moreover, in many cases you need to run a script or some other software that depends directly on curl.
In general the "nobody is forced to use it" arguments rarely pan out (I remember this was a canned argument from C++ folks circa 2011: "C++ is the best language because it has every feature and if you don't like some features, you aren't forced to use them!").
Well, your distro choose to include one lib that can be used with most protocols out there. They include the multi tool and many of the apps also included on the box require the tool.
If you want to use something else. You have to install it on the host. Every box comes with bash, but we still install other languages and frameworks on the host so we can run out applications with tools that make sense.
If you want a different tool, make it part of your default install.
The point is that you’re not always the person who gets to decide which distro, which tools to install atop the distro, or which dependencies your scripts will use. If you own those choices, of course you can add in your own tool, but you frequently don’t own those choices.
But cannot this charge be levied upon all tools and utilities? If you do not have the permission to bring your own tools it stands to reason that you will have to use the tools already in place, be that curl or some other random assortment of literally anything else. I don't much see the moral basis behind showing up at the construction yard and then lamenting over your lack of choice simply because your employer only brought makita brand tools.
No one picks curl to be on a box, it a core library for everything else on the host. It's not a Makita drill, it's more like electrical power at the site and this guy is complaining this tool uses gas or propane.
Doesn't stop anyone else from using a power saw or charging batteries. If you need propane, bring it.
I guess I don't understand the complaint? You're worried that other people are using it for their own projects? The reason it's on every box is because it exposes the API and it's a library for half the shit on the host.
If you don't get to choose anything on the host, why are you concerned what other people use? If you install your own apps, add that lib you want?
But nobody is forced to use curl? People use it because it’s convenient, shoot them selves in the foot and then lash out at the author the tool for their own choices. Where’s the fault?