On Tue, 17 Apr 2007 15:30:14 +0400, Andrey Gerasimenko wrote: > >> I do not see how it is hard to create a minimal installation CD image > >> every time new hardware support is added into the kernel, > > > > Then do it. Open source gives you the opportunity to make things > > happen yourself instead of whining that others won't do it. The build > > tools are in portage, so there's nothing stopping anyone from > > producing an updated minimal install CD, as has already been posted > > to the forums. > > > > Sorry, where do you see whining?
Sorry, that came across as rather harsh. It was intended as a general comment, not a criticism of you. > Even if I say that if whatever posted > to forums is good then it should go to the official Gentoo site, this > would not be whining. No, but it would not be practical either, because an official release needs a lot more testing. > Once again, there should be some problem with my English. It is > official Gentoo release policy to have minimal, live, and platform > releases in sync. Posting a new image to forums is not that tightly > related to policies. No it's not, and I never suggested it was. As an Open Source project, ANYONE can build a new, unofficial image that supports brand new hardware. They don't need to wait for the full releng cycle of testing on all packages. > This very thread, as explained in my post, is just > one reason to change the policy. Then you should file a bug suggesting this. > >> or new gcc > >> version goes stable, or new portage version goes stable. > > > > These are irrelevant. As long as the CD boots, recognises your core > > hardware - which really comes down to disk controllers and network > > interfaces - and installs a working system, the rest can be updated > > post-install. > > > > No, GCC and portage are relevant. The fact that the installation > process succeeds does not help much when a new user, just after > downloading the latest and greatest, has to recompile something as > basic and huge as GCC or just interrupt the install getting the scary > message "you better do nothing until you upgrade Portage". Whatever is included, something big will have a new version by the time the full install has been comprehensively tested on all supported platforms and put on the mirrors for a week. A Gentoo install is supposed to give you a working system that is a starting point, not an end in itself. The only time a new install disc is really necessary is when the old one doesn't support your hardware. > > A major GCC update is the exception to this rule, but that is > > precisely the sort of thing that needs extensive testing on a range > > of platforms rather than a rushed release. > Just in case you already deleted my post, I recommend new minimal CD > release each time a new GCC version, major or not, goes stable. I still maintain that minor GCC upgrades are not an issue, kernel upgrades are far more relevant as that is where most hardware support takes place. Why do you consider a GCC upgrade such a big deal? After a Stage 3 install, you are likely to want to do an emerge -e world anyway, to apply your customisations, so GCC will probably be recompiled anyway. As long as the latest stable version is not incompatible with the CD, what's the big deal? > What extra testing does a stable version need? To ensure that everything works as a cohesive whole. -- Neil Bothwick If at first you don't succeed, skydiving is not for you.
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