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Re: Which task package installs gpm?



On Tue, Sep 19, 2000 at 11:12:27PM +0200, J.A. Bezemer wrote:
> Well, what would you say, when your harddisk is filled with 200 MB, and you
> have only a shell, one editor you can use without reading lots of manuals, and
> compilers for languages you can't even understand. 

If you have a 200 MB harddisk, then I suggest you handpick your packages 
carefully. If you don't like Unix's editors, then perhaps you don't want
to be using Unix. There are many fine non-Unix operating systems out there,
including Windows. 

> This 200MB does _not_ give
> you a graphical environment, or a usable webbrowser, or even some way to print
> a nice letter on some omni-present non-PostScript printer.

It gives you lynx, which is a usable webbrowser. Are you complaining that
ghostscript should be in standard?
 
> ... in other words: to the average Windows convert, this system gives you
> about as much functionality as plain old DOS. DOS is some 5 MB. 

If you want Windows, you know where to find it. If you want a fine
programming enviroment, a stable system that rewards learning and patience,
then Debian offers that. If you want a server, here we are. 

Anyway, any DOS convert could tell you how much more functionality
this system offers over DOS. I remember DOS affectionately, but DOS
was missing a lot. (Little of which was added by Windows, may I add.)
 
> And most of the users installing Debian happen to be Windows converts.

I doubt it. Most new users go to Red Hat, or Mandrake, or Corel. Debian
gets more of the Unix people and ex-RH/Mandrake/Corel users. I don't
think anyone has anything more than a guess though.
 
> So, _if_ we consider to install standard by default, we should probably
> gravely re-think what should be in a present-day(!) "standard" system.

Debian is not everything to everybody. If you want a graphical enviroment,
it's on the task lists. A standard Debian system should not be bound by
what Windows converts want.

-- 
David Starner - dstarner98@aasaa.ofe.org
http/ftp: dvdeug.dhis.org
And crawling, on the planet's face, some insects called the human race.
Lost in space, lost in time, and meaning.
	-- RHPS



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