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Introducing: Meta-Distros (was: Re: Modular Debian (was: Re: Some proposals))



On Thu, Feb 27, 2003 at 10:13:14AM +0100, Adrian 'Dagurashibanipal' von Bidder wrote:
> 
> > Proposal: put all Debian code in a repository and make all maintainers
> > responsible for all packages.

Related with what comes below.

> > Proposal:  Stop releasing altogether
> 
> No. But I like your idea of 'industrialplantian' and 'sysadminian' and
> 'desktopian'.
> 
> So, perhaps what we want is a modular Debian:
> 
> Debian Core
> 	base system, gcc, perl, java if it ever becomes available &
> 	popular. Perhaps python as the number of python tools increases 
> 	This one can be released relatively often, without having to 	
>       wait on kde and gnome...
> 
> Debian Desktop, based on Debian core X.Y
> 	X, kde, gnome and applications. The problem here is that it
> 	would be as slow as the current Debian, I guess.  You could
>       argue that gnome and kde should be split out - but the problem
> 	is when we have 20 Debian flavours: who manages them? So I'd
> 	propose just Desktop. Could be put out more often than current
> 	stable because stability and upgrading requirements are perhaps 
> 	a little less strict as with the server parts (kde3 changes a 	
>       lot from kde2, so users will notify an upgrade anyway)
> 
> Debian Backend, based on Debian core X.Y
> 	All the server tools - postgres, apache, mailers, ...
> 

HispaLinux is at the moment hosting a similar effort (see [1], Spanish only, 
but the translation effort should start any time soon).

The idea is described as follows:

The project started as a mean of creating personalised Debian releases
targeted at concrete groups of users: Universities, education facilities,
government,... but it has evolved to a way of creating a personal distro for
your needs.

It consists of two abstraction levels: a loader and a set of
metadistributions.

1.
The loader is a CD loader subset. It is based on the Live-CD idea, so that a
user can test the distribution before deciding to install it. It can be
started with the use of a diskette, from the net,... and includes a
installation module, so that if your system is ready (and all the HW is
detected properly) you can go ahead and install it).

The loader is at the moment working as a CD loader subset, but different
subsets could be created: installation subset (targeted at sysadms wanting to
install the distribution; see D-I), replication subset (targeted at cluster
services),...

A description (sorry again, Spanish) is found here: [2]

2.
The metadistribution subsets are basically virtual packages of applications
(àlà tasks) already installed and packaged so that they fit in the CD and
provide the functionality out of the box.

Different sets of existing metadistros have been used in a hands-on testing
project which has led to GNOME-Live CD, hosted in [1].

A graphical idea is found here [3]

The possible sets include the ones described above, by Adrian.

So in that case, the Debian Core subset would be the one released using the
devel-freeze-release mothel, while the kde-3.1 subset would be released when
qt-3.2 would be ready, and so forth.

One of our goals in the MetaDistros project is to create a way to easily
release LiNex releases [4] with different degrees of personalization and
specialization (targeted at granies, at students, at language students,...)

At the moment, for example, Javier Fdz-Sanguino Peña has shown a desire [5] of
creating a security metapackage, which put with the installer/loader and core
would create a Debian Security installation CD (or a LiveCD).

mooch

[1] http://metadistros.hispalinux.es
[2] http://www.hispalinux.es/modules.php?op=modload&name=phpWiki&file=index&pagename=Cargador
[3] http://metadistros.hispalinux.es/estructura-metadistros-3.png
[4] http://www.linex.org
[5] https://listas.hispalinux.es/pipermail/meta-distros/2003-February/001056.html

-- 
Jesus Climent | Unix SysAdm | Helsinki, Finland | pumuki.hispalinux.es
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----------------------------------------------------------------------
 Registered Linux user #66350 proudly using Debian Sid & Linux 2.4.20

Personal note: When I was little my mother told me not to stare into the 
sun, so when I was six I did.
		--Maximillian Cohen (Pi)

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