Re: [gentoo-dev] Base system requirements

[Troy Dack]

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>
> Heres a rough list to begin with:
>
> Known stable kernel
> One Bourne compatible shell
> libc (glibc/dietlibc/uclibc/...., glibc preferred)
> Anything that supports connecting to a network (dhcpcd, route, ifconfig,
> pppoe, pppd).

Not everyone wants or needs all of those ways of connecting to a network.
For some people having ifconfig is ample.

If a user needs or wants more, then they should know it and then install
it.  If a user doesn't know what is needed to connect their system to a
network then perhaps they should investigate a different distribution (RH,
MDK?), or do some reading.

> Python (for emerge)
> ssh
> rsync

> cvs

Not really required unless you are going to be installing cvs-based
ebuilds, in which case it should be a dep on those ebuilds or in the
cvs-eclass

ie: those that need it will (or should) know and will install it.

> filesystem utils
> package utils (tar, bzip2, gzip, md5sum, gpg)

> manuals (man/info pages)

Perhaps a new USE flag for man and info pages could be created so that
those who are uber leet can set it to -manpages and then have none of it
installed.

> Enabled by default, but optionally rejectable:

Preferablly not enabled at all, but this is, of course, my NSHO.

> C/C++ compiler

Given this is Gentoo and it is a "Source based meta-distribution" then a
compiler is entirely appropriate.

> Perl

I think perl is used by too many things to have it removed.  For those
that want to make a minimal install then they should be creating a custom
profile and have the knowledge to do so.

> sshd

Now having sshd as part of the base system is good.  I imagine that not
having sshd installed by default would result in a large number of
questions on #gentoo, particularly as it is available on the livecds. (and
isn't it part of openssh anyway, that gives us the ssh client?)

> One MTA (Postfix preferred/Exim as a second choice for the default MTA).

The only mta installed on any of my desktop machines is ssmtp and it is
configured to forward all mail on those machines to a specific user on my
central server.  I don't want a weighty mta on those machines.  All my
mua's communicate directly with a central smtp, that way I only have to
administer one.

> a browser (lynx/links)

I know it's handy, but not really required.

> uuencode/uudecode

Not sure why you'd want these.  I am yet to use either of these directly
(though I may have used them indirectly through another application).

> Devdas Bhagat
>

I think having the Base System as minimalistic as possible, whilst keeping
sane and sensible defaults is a must.  Installing everything and the
kitchen sync that a user may require does not lead to:
  "Gentoo Linux can become ... -- whatever you need it to be"

I don't want to sound elitist or exclude new users from attempting to use
Gentoo (and I'm more than willing to help people on #gentoo, as long as
they are willing to help themselves a little too), however I do feel that
a certain level of knowledge, or linux experience is required to use
Gentoo.

Gentoo linux can be a huge learning experience for someone with little or
know linux knowledge, it can extremely liberating for someone who has used
other distributions because as a user you have to do so much for
*yourself*.

Sorry if this is too much of a rant, I just get annoyed when people want
to remove or diminish the great flexibility that an initial Gentoo install
gives a user, purely to make it "easier" or more "newbie friendly".

- --
    Troy Dack                       <tad@g.o>

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