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Re: Thoughts on distributing virtual machine images to promote Debian



Hi,

[ I failed to use my mail client properly. Sorry. This message should
  make it to -devel AND -science now - hopefully ]

On Mon, Apr 16, 2007 at 01:05:45PM +0200, Daniel Baumann wrote:
> Michael Hanke wrote:
> > Therefore I'd like to ask whether you think that it would be
> > reasonable for Debian to provide a virtual machine image with the
> > most recent stable release that can be customized to perform a specific
> > task on a win32 machine?
> 
> I completely fail to see why a VM image /inside/ debian (as in a debian
> package) could be of any benefit to a win32 user. Windows does not
> support to install debian packages out of an apt repositories as of now.
True, but it wasn't my intention to put it into a package as it would be
obviously useless for the target audience. I thought about distributing
it along other media (installation CDs/DVDs, Live-CDs).

> Assumed, it would be usefull for win32 users, I see two problems:
> 
>   * space: a reasonable VM images would be way beyond 100mb, that's to
>     big.
I reasonable selection of neuroimaging tools in a Debian etch VM is
approx. 600 MB. That is big, but not too big as this is even less than
the size of a CD image.

> So, I think this is not so a good idea.
> 
> However, if I were you, I would try to get that image of yours either
> into the vmware markedplace[0] or to oszoo[1].
Right, but I can always do this on my own. My intention was to ask
whether anyone already did that (and how) or to find interested
collaborators. I thought instead of making a Neuroimaging VM only, it
might be useful to have one common base where others can make
DebianMolekular, DebianPhysics, ... VMs.

Perhaps I wasn't precise enough, I'm not looking for a cheap place to
distribute a VM. In fact if the whole thing ends up as a wiki page there
is little to distribute at all. I still think this could be a way to
gain more users, especially in the many science-related area Debian
already provides software in its archive.

Cheers,

Michael


-- 
GPG key:  1024D/3144BE0F Michael Hanke
http://apsy.gse.uni-magdeburg.de/hanke
ICQ: 48230050



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