Sorry Tim, but I agree with Jason.
Remember Tim, that the LSB has chosen RPM, and so has Mandrake, so deal with it. :) Also, I don't really think that Jason was talking about releasing the distro as statlinked, only the add-on apps that can be downloaded. When I download an app, I really appreciate an RPM, and even better, I would appreciate a statlinked RPM at least be available that would save me a big headache when there is a dep problem. I download, install, it already has all it's own libraries that are right there in it's ver own directory that the install made, and I run!!! YEEESSSSS! I don't have to care about which version or distro of Linux I downloaded it for, because it doesn't care either!! It just runs!!!!! Have you ever downloaded, untared, and ran a Mozilla nightly? Everything right there in it's own directory. Click on Mozilla, and it just runs. Statlinks work the same way. Yes I compile my own apps as well (I've been running Linux 7+ yrs), but heck, statlinked RPMs would be much easier, and like Jason, I don't care about HD space, or the extra RAM that is used. Statlinked RPMs being available (as well as source) would go a long way in making life a whole lot more like a Windows install for those coming from that mode of thinking on how to install an app. Then once they get better, at least the source is still available. There are, I think, tens of thousands of people coming over from Windows daily worldwide (or at least testing Linux); we need to make life as easy as possible for them to come over, and install and run their favorite app. Statlinks would be a big part of that help. -Bill ======= Timothy R. Butler wrote: >Hiya, > >>Here here, and let's be honest, how common are deb packages vs. RPM's >>(when both statically and dynamically linked types are included)?? You >> > > Obviously RPM's are more popular, but the amount of deb packages would rise >dramatically if Mandrake adopted it. Really its sorta a chicken-and-the-egg >thing - you aren't going to get a lot of Desktop-friendly deb's until you >have a desktop friendly distro that actually is a serious contender (i.e. not >Corel). > >>don't see a site called deb find do you? There needs to be some sort of >> > > http://www.debian.org/distrib/packages <--- debfind, or close to it. > >>standard, even within the Linux community, otherwise we are all banging >>our heads against the wall trying to prove our way is superior. Like it >>or loath it, RPM is here to stay and is fast becoming the defacto >>standard way for programs to be released for desktop oriented >>distributions (which Mandrake most certainly is). Sorry, I personally >>like the direction Mandrake is headed and would hate to see it change. >> > > Well, that's exactly my point. If you look at the way Mandrake is going >with things like urpmi and the recent adoption of the Debian menu system, it >looks like the Mandrake developers like the ideas of Debian and are working >to mimick them. Rather than mimick them, why not use the original? Then the >Mandrake developers could concentrate on things like adding new control panel >applets, working on various open source projects, and so forth. > >>The only complaint I have is the whole statically linked vs. dynamically >>linked RPM debate. And before the list tries to tell me why dynamically >> >[...] > >>steps, download and install. Simple. In my opinion, this is the single >>biggest factor that is slowing Linux uptake on the desktop. Momma bear >>can even install statically linked RPM's. >> > > Well, tell me the benefit of using statically linked RPM's are better to >the average user that won't download an application for a long time? >Virtually none. With KDE being as slow as it is with prelink problems, I >don't think it's a good idea to try to slow it down more. Also, if a new QT >comes out - for example - you must recompile statically linked apps to take >advantage of it... > If you are having dependancy problems - then please reconsider my Debian >argument. > > The most important thing isn't how many packages it takes to install >something, but how hard it is to install. If I download "superdupertool" and >it needs "foobarlib" I should be able to get that (in theory) automatically >with tools such as urpmi or apt-get. Rather than simplify in a way that >lowers efficiency, why not improve the tools so it can be done The Right >Way(tm)? > >>Before the list flames me and says I don't know what I'm talking about, >>trust me, I do. I know computers and can happily solve dependency >>problems all day but why praytell MUST I if I don't want to?? How >>difficult is it really to release 2 versions of an RPM?? Now that would >>offer Mandrake users REAL choice. >> > > Maybe about 5 GB worth? Why release five gigs worth of additional >everything-is-static packages? And, who, but the tech savvy people that have >some kind of preference for static packages would pick that option anyway? > > -Tim >
