Why do I need mDNSResponder/howl?

[Dave]

On Friday 14 January 2005 12:44 am, Paul Howarth wrote:
> On Thu, 2005-01-13 at 13:50 -0800, Dave wrote:
> > Yet another one. I thought only microsoft installed network services
> > willy-nilly without any regard for whether they're needed.
> >
> > 'Howl is a cross-platform port of Apple's "Rendezvous" (multicast DNS)
> > service discovery and IP autoconfiguration.'
> >
> > So ... when was I asked if I even needed/wanted this? How many people
> > actually use it? Why does it default to being activated?
>
> Because for some people it will make their network work automagically,
> saving them the bother of configuring it? Isn't plug-and-play what most
> people want?

 Absolutely ... but shouldn't there be SOME thought given to not installing 
willy nilly active network services when they're not needed? Or asking the 
user during install? 

By this logic, why bother doing any hardware probing at all during install? 
Just install EVERYTHING because somebody might take their x86 hard drive, and 
move it to a PowerPC machine without changing anything, or magically wake up 
one morning to find new hardware installed ...

 Sorry, but one of the reasons I'm moving AWAY from Windows is Microsoft's 
long habit of loading up systems with unneeded network protocols and services 
without asking or warning. And they're slowly reforming that habit!