Re: Was the release of Debian 2.0 put on Linux Announce?
On Sun, 2 Aug 1998, Joey Hess wrote:
> Someone might today, see that both debian and redhat contain kernel 2.0 and
> draw the conclusion they are both about equally up-to-date. Both
> distributions mentinn which kernel they contain in press releases and ads
> and so on. The fact that some people don't make this connection doesn't make
> me optimistic about them being less confused when a third version number is
> added to the mix.
Let me put it another way. Non-geek calls software vendor to buy
WonderWare for Linux. He asks if it will run on his system. The guy asks
what version of libc he is using. The non-geek says he has no idea. Vendor
asks what the LSB version is and the non-geek says 1.2. Vendor says he
must upgrade his system to a LSB-1.3 compliant version and to see his
Linux Distribution's website for details.
People that are not Unix SysAdmin's by trade or hobby are not going to
give a rat's pair of hips what version of libc they have. People have a
job to do that usually does not involve spending hours of learning a lot
of little anal-retentive details about the inner workings of their
systems.
There are two choices. Make a techno-geek distribution that is a maze of
details and requires hours of reading and place a big warning on the
website along the lines of "Stupid Windows Users keep the hell out of
here, we do not want you or your silly-assed quaestions" (which is what I
heard during the course of this thread) OR you can provide a simple
system of versioning that spceifies compliance to things like the FHS and
LSB that will make things a lot easier for application providers and
users.
I do not see the developers all spun up about the FHS "dictating" the
Debian filesystem layout. It is simply a standard that makes it easier to
write and install applications if the distributions agree to use it.
Remember ... Beta was a better video tape format too. Just because
something is better in a technical sense does not mean that it will
survive or is even better in the greater scheme of things.
George Bonser
Microsoft! Which end of the stick do you want today?
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