Re: other debian installer tactic?
alex wrote:
Alfredo Valles wrote:
<snip>
Why is it that debian can not take a shortcut in the path for having
a quick desktop installation?
Why not to release a basic knoppix-like CD with the most common
desktop applications that 99% of people would want?.
<snip>
Amen!!!!!
Whover produced KNOPPIX has the right idea......a simple almost
foolproof installation that provides
just the basic necessities. Why should everyone who wants Debian be
required make decisions during the
installation about things that can be better accomplished after the
basic Debian is installed?.
Umm, partitioning is not better accomplished after the basic Debian is
installed.
But I understand your point, and can agree to it somewhat. However, the
problem is not that Debian intentionally made the installation
difficult; the problem is man- er, human-power. There's only so many
developers working on Debian, and they're all volunteers, so they work
on whatever projects catch their fancy. Until now, they've put less
emphasis on the installation of Debian (after all, you only have to do
it once) than on other aspects. I understand that with the next release,
the installer will have considerable improvements. But it's still not
likely to be exactly what you want, because the developers are committed
to the goal of having Debian work on multiple architectures. What you're
wanting is a distro that is smart enough to handle all the variants of
x86 in a simple manner. Knoppix can do this, because Knopper spent the
time and effort to get it to work well on x86. He could do this because
he WANTED to, and because he didn't worry about the other 12
architectures or so that Debian works on. I'm sure that the Debian
developers would like the same type of easy installer, but they WANT to
spend their efforts on other aspects, and to make Debian
multi-arthitecture, and since they're volunteers, they can do whatever
they want to do. The only way this is going to change is to throw more
developers at the problem who are willing to work on the installation
routine. Whining at the current developers for volunteering their
time/effort on other aspects when you want them to work on those aspects
AND the installation routine ain't gonna help matters. What would help
is to donate $40K-$120K a year to hire a full-time developer (maybe one
or more of the current developers) to work with the Debian team on this
problem. I know that not all problems can be solved by throwing money at
them, but this particular problem could be. Open your wallet and watch
your wishes be fulfilled. (Of course, when money gets involved, that
creates a whole new set of problems, such as "Who's pulling the strings
of the project?", etc, but we can burn that bridge when we get to it.
Send money now. Only $50 a day, the price of a cup of coffee in 2045AD,
could make a difference in your child's life, and in the life of other
children around the world trying to install Debian. If it just saves one
child from having to run "tasksel", it'll be worth it. It's for the
children. Donate your paycheck today, before it's too late.)
--
Kent
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