[frederikvs]

My interpretation was always that the do-nothing script was just a starting point - once you have it, you can gradually start automating the steps.

Once the script actually automates a few of the more tedious steps, people are much more likely to use it. And when they use it, they're likely to help maintain it when new situations need it.

Eventually, you may end up with a script that does automate it all, and can be put in CI/CD. (Hey, I can dream, can't I?)

[mason55]

Yes, I agree 100%. But until you get to the point where it's fully automated and running through CI/CD then you're constantly fighting new manual steps and ways to do things.

> And when they use it, they're likely to help maintain it when new situations need it.

Unfortunately, "likely" means "not always", which turns into something that is no longer a real source of truth, and you're back to people having their own undocumented way of doing things.

I've also found that it's easier to bikeshed when you're printing our commands for people to run. Either because they see the command more clearly or they have different dependencies installed.

It's still better than nothing, don't get me wrong. It's just become clear to me that if you don't build your "do-nothing script" with a real plan to get it automated (i.e. not just a dream that "we'll automate this one day") then it will quickly rot.