On Wednesday 18 May 2005 16:39, Jonas Smedegaard wrote:
> On 18-05-2005 00:03, cobaco (aka Bart Cornelis) wrote:
> > On Tuesday 17 May 2005 22:44, Jonas Smedegaard wrote:
> >>On 17-05-2005 16:44, Holger Levsen wrote:
> >>>In our vision a Custom Debian Distribution is built from one cdd
> >>>package per CDD (see http://wiki.debian.net/index.cgi?CDDTool for more
> >>>info on that). That cdd package is not maintained inside Debian but
> >>>maintained by the CDD.
> >>
> >>To clarify: While most other CDD work is best passed on to Debian, the
> >>actual CDD package is not intended for inclusion in the official Debian
> >>archive.
> >
> > Why not? I fail to see the advantage of this.
>
> Debian provides choices of software packages and generic configurations
> for a local admin to pick from and customize further.
agreed
> CDDs take away choices and automate customization (and maybe more).
ah, here I disagree, I don't see a CDD as something taking away choices, I
rather see a CDD as providing a set of default choices, in other words:
- Debian-proper provides a generic starting point and supports it
- CDD's provide starting points tailored to a certain target group/situation
and support those
The idea being that you want to help people (often not interested in ICT an
sich) use Debian for their purpose, without _requiring_ them to deal with
the multidude of choices that Debian offers.
In effect you're just hiding choices behind a default so people can focus on
_what_ they want to do, instead of _how_ to get that stupid machine to do
the what. For those interested in the how, all choices are still there.
Of course the more you deviate from a given CDD's idea of how, the more
you'll have to shoulder the maintenance load yourself, but even then you
don't have to start from scratch.
Note: that doesn't take away that CDD's should try to be flexible, and play
nice with deviations from their norm as much as possible.
Note also that it should be possible to combine CDD's, which will get
harder, I think, If they're all outside of Debian. Some example
combinations I can easily see happening:
- debian-edu + debian-jr on a kindergarten class computer
- debian-edu + demudi on a music class computer
- debian-edu + debian-office-worker (yeah I now doesn't exist ATM) on the
school administrative staff's computers
- debian-edu + ichtux on computer in religion class
- debian-edu + debian-gis in geography class
- ...
> task-* packages was once invented but later discouraged again. I see
> skolelinux-* packages as newer (certainly much improved) task-packages,
> but with same basic flaw: they provide global limitation instead of
> choice.
then IMO we need to fix the flaw in our tools, not change the definition of
what we're trying to do
-> we've only just started to explore this problem space, personally I'm
(still) convinced we can solve it in generic and extensible ways
> I realize that the discussion if CDD metapackages should be inside
> Debian or outside is controversial, so thanks, Cobaco, for renaming the
> subject!
:-)
--
Cheers, cobaco (aka Bart Cornelis)
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