Taras Glek wrote:
>
> 7. Why isn't helix-update shipped with Mandrake?
That's an'interesting question: Helix Install and Helix Update are cool
ways to perform those operations, how is Mandrake going to perform the
same tasks, especially the GNOME/[other software] update? Are you going
to include Helix Update in LM 7.2 (or 8.0, or whatever), or are you
going to write your own Updater, possibly to be used with other software
packages (KDE, for instance)? or are you trying to keep track of
GNOME/KDE etc. development simply releasing 3-4 versions of LM Mandrake
per year?
I think the "release often" policy Mandrake has followed so far should
be reconsidered: instead of 3-4 releases desperately trying to uphold
the "state of the art" banner (but look what happened with GNOME 1.2, a
pity it couldn't go in LM 7.1), introducing incremental improvements and
a host of little problems, I'd like to see the following:
- 2 releases (say spring and autumn) really *rock* solid, each focusing
on improving considerably one aspect of the Linux OS (installation,
system maintenance, voice recognition, you name it);
- a Mandrake Update program which can take care of the following:
security updates
single/simple software updates (e.g. gqview, 1 rpm, or Mesa, 3-4
packets)
complex software updates (e.g. GNOME: lots of packets, lots of
dependancies, etc.)
system software updates (careful here!).
In this way, we could have new versions of LM still twice a year,
perfect for fresh installs or heavy updates, and the chance to update
our working system seamlessly during a LM year :)
I can hear a "commercial" objection coming: more releases = more
PowerPacks sold. This is true, but consider this: your typical buyer
(small/medium businesses, but also individuals) *won't* buy all of the
PPs all the times; on the contrary, people are used to Winxx updates
once every 2-3 years or more. Besides, you could make the update free
for non-commercial and at a cost for commercial customers, following
Helix model.
Just my 0.2 Euro here :^)
Ciao
--
Roberto Rosselli Del Turco e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Dipartimento di Scienze [EMAIL PROTECTED]
del Linguaggio Then spoke the thunder DA
Universita' di Torino Datta: what have we given? (TSE)
Hige sceal the heardra, heorte the cenre,
mod sceal the mare, the ure maegen litlath. (Maldon 312-3)
