[CoLoCo] Standardized Repositories

[Kevin Fries]

On Fri, 2008-03-07 at 11:45 -0700, David L. Willson wrote:
> F(L)OSS Zealot #4379 ringing in:
> 
> The picture is relatively simple.  There is rpm and deb and source-code.  There is no
> "and so on and so forth."  The beauty of the thing is that if you see problems with
> RPM/DEB and you think you have a better idea, you can make the "so on and so forth"
> package management system (PMS).  If enough of the rest of us think your PMS is better
> than the existing PMS's, we'll switch to it.  And Bill Gates won't say, "No, Add/Remove
> Programs is good enough for you.  It's more important to have a standard than to get
> that feature you want."  If you want a standard, choose a distro.  Ubuntu is a very good
> one.  Linux/F(L)OSS is about freedom of choice.

Darn David, you had to go there :-D

You see this argument has raged for a long time.  And as a result,
someone tried what you suggested... its called Smart
(http://labix.org/smart).  And with the exception of distros that have
horrible package management (and anyone say Suse?  hint: first S is
pronounced like a Z and the e like an "ay").  While it improves those
distros where the built in repository system is not up to speed, the
bottom line is that this has nothing to do with Bug #1.

I tried this morning to steer the conversation towards a much larger
problem... lets try it again:

There are several mainstream vendors out there that refuse with every
ounce of their being to oppose Linux.  Lets highlight one: Logitech.
Somebody needs to come out with a line of products that is as good as
Logitechs, and has full Linux support.  Vendors like that feel they can
continue to ride Microsoft's coat tails and fundamentally oppose FOSS on
the grounds that it is anti-business.

Want to work towards Linux adoption... get me a state of the art webcam
that is as good as the Logitech ones, and has drivers available to every
Linux distro.

There is a windmill worth tilting at.


-- 
Kevin Fries
Senior Linux Engineer
Computer and Communications Technology, Inc
A Division of Japan Communications Inc.