On Sat, 14 Jan 2012, Richard Owlett wrote: > I think the key thing I'm missing is understanding just what are > distributions and dependencies. In the old days you wrote a program that > compiled/linked/loaded ALL needed code into a single executable that the > OS fetched and loaded. Later came precompiled libraries that could be > loaded during execution e.g. DLL's. Now Linux has Something _Better(tm). > Just what Something _Better is remains undefined.
Distributions are linux with different administrative approaches (CLI vs. GUI, for example), different included applications, and so on. Just like different brands of pick up trucks: they all do the same thing but look different and have different trim packages. Dependencies are most often libraries that are needed for a particular application. No need for the applicatoin developer to re-invent the user interface when an existing one can be incorporated. Same with printing cababilies, use of periferal hardware such as optical drives, and other components. The linux/UNIX equivalent of .dlls are shared libraries, .so. If you look in /usr/lib/ or /lib/ you'll see both .a and .so files. The former are static, the latter dynamic. The dynamic libraries can be used simultaneiously by multiple applications. > Another question (related???); "What is a LIVE edition?" Not why needed or > how to use, but how is it constructed? There must be something "standard" > as I've noticed references to tools that can make a "Live CD" from a > running configuration. When the CD/DVD is created it contains a boot loader that allows the computer in which it's place to boot the OS from the optical drive. If you download a distribution you can usually find a version with the .iso extension. This means that it will produce a bootable disk when burned to the plastic. HTH, Rich _______________________________________________ PLUG mailing list [email protected] http://lists.pdxlinux.org/mailman/listinfo/plug
