[gentoo-dev] Re: Big change ideea

[Duncan]

Alexandru Mincu <mincua@×××××.com> posted 457739BA.6020508@×××××.com,
excerpted below, on  Wed, 06 Dec 2006 23:44:26 +0200:

> I recently stumbled upon the following Linux distribution:
> http://www.gobolinux.org/

> They are trying to remove the old UNIX file system scheme with the/bin
> /etc /usr /var, etc directories and are trying to implement a little
> more intuitive version of the file system hierarchy.  [T]he compatibility
> problem can be solved by creating links[.]

> I want to ask the developer community if it is willing to put this in
> practice and give the Gentoo users another choice to make their Linux
> system the way they want it and like and understand it and not the way
> others do or did.

Three things:

1)  Each distribution tends to have its own unique emphasis.  As you point
out, that's one of GoboLinux's.  It's not one of Gentoo's, and isn't
likely to be as Gentoo is more of a meta-distribution in that regard -- it
provides the base and the tools for others to build their own distribution
with such emphases if so desired, but sticks to its own emphases, the
biggest being from source, with another being presenting packages as close
to what upstream intended as possible.  This would certainly not be doing
the latter, and isn't really related to the former, and would be a lot of
work to get right and maintain, so it's not something Gentoo is likely to
do -- at the Gentoo level.

2)  If you really like the idea and want it to happen, become a Gentoo
developer and create a project to make it an option.  Gentoo devs already
have their pet projects and aren't likely to wish to start on a new one,
but would be less opposed to you becoming a developer and doing it (or
this is the way it has worked for other pet projects, anyway) -- PROVIDED
someone else was doing all the work and it wouldn't create significantly
more for them.

3)  More practical than (2), as that one likely WOULD create more work
for other devs, more bugs to fix with their packages anyway, you may wish
to take up that meta-distribution idea.  If you want a Gentoo based
distribution that uses this idea from Gobo, create it!  That's one of the
great possibilities of FLOSS based software, and Gentoo as a declared
meta-distribution, with tools such as catalyst to help with the process,
actually encourages this.

-- 
Duncan - List replies preferred.   No HTML msgs.
"Every nonfree program has a lord, a master --
and if you use the program, he is your master."  Richard Stallman

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