Re: My doubts about Debian choice

["Aldo Solari [APS]" <SOLARIS@cicei.ulpgc.es>]

JFrancois is straightforward, indeed.  It's very good, I believe.  I
understand the criticism he's putting  forward  as a way to get good
things in the 'mill', so to say.

As for RedHat vs Debian, I like both much but I like the later  most
due  to  their so called 'social contract'.  Also, see the reactions
when Erik contacted  both  RedHat  &  Debian:  the first was against
another distribution and during those days, the new end user project
poped out from RedHat ...  and the later welcomed  SEUL. 

] I have seen the Linux-kernel in action and while not forcing anyone to
] do anthing Linus will not allow incorporating features than he
] considers harmful.

Well, Linus invented the thing. He should know what he's doing :-).

] I consider instructive than no _one_ person in a group of
] _two_hundred_ has in _four_years_ found important to package a Wysywyg
] word processor or the kind of graphical and simple databases a normal
] person  would  use for keeping track of the wines he keeps on his
] cellar. 

There's definitely  some  gap  (a  large  one  if  you like), that's
correct.  However, I'm sure further developments  are  on  the  way.
One  of  the  problems within the Linux community has been that many
efforts have either not been continued or sufficiently coordinated. 

] Listen we are speaking of tools who have not been developped by Debian
] but by FSF, by the Linux and XFree group and by thousands of people
] who are _not_ related to Debain.

I agree.  That's correct.  Many times I consider the linux community
as a whole (with few exceptions such as Caldera et al.).

] But what is keeping people into Microsft's slavery beng sucked of
] their hard earned dollars and in exchange getting crap like Windows95
] is the fact than the free software community has made few efforts in
] issuing software for normal people.

Yes, the  software  gaps  in  Linux  feed  dependencies toewards M$,
that's correct. But gaps can be filled out.

] Listen the goal of this project is _NOT_ spreading the Debian
] distribution 

Omega et al.  talked about the _core_ not the whole  of  the  Debian
distribution.

] Linux: it will just make our job easier.

Good. A pragmatic approach.

] by issuing a distribution completely unfit to non-programmers

Well,  I  believe  those guys do what they can.  They have a 'social
contract' and a multi-ethnic/lingual approach which nobody else has.
The Debian group is multinational:  developers in that group are not
solely Americans but SouthAmericans, Europeans and  Asians.   That's
really nice.  Also, they have lists in the 'major' languages which I
also  like (i.e.  and 'everyone on board' policy).  SEUL could learn
from their experiences.

] Please what about your test with Debian and end users?

I'm  trying  to  coordinate the hard-core test at this college.  The
Sysadmins here have been **very positive** (everyone likes the Linux
philosophy here whether they know unix or not) and that data will be
very useful.  I'll design the test myself, send it in to this  list.

Today,  we obtained a dedicated box in the lab here.  It'll serve as
a 24-hours/day test machine.   Debian  will  be installed there over
and over again by different students while I keep and eye  on  them.
Data will be hard-core, 100% guaranteed.

Expect a an amazing technical challenge to solve the difficulties to
give a system to  100%  unix  novices.   In  fact,  SEUL may come to
change the unix approach as a whole. Let's see ...

Cheers,

    Aldo
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----
Aldo-Pier Solari <SolariS@CICEI.ULPGC.ES>, Fish.Res.Gr./ULP
Home-page:  http://www.ulpgc.es/usuarios/solaris/index.html
PGPKey ID: 0xFDD1FD36   --  IWillNotFailThoseWithWhomIServe
----
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