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On 08/07/2016 08:32 AM, Kent Fredric wrote: |
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> On Sun, 7 Aug 2016 08:24:51 -0500 |
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> james <garftd@×××××××.net> wrote: |
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> |
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>> |
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>> As a team, we could have a simple default program for a simple default |
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>> disk format, and a variety of 'stage-4' images, maybe updated every 3 |
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>> months, to get a gentoo system up, quickly. Not an anything you want |
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>> it to be, but a few, common choices. Perhaps a security apparatus, |
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>> commonly needed, built on the hardened project? (like a bridge or a |
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>> firewall)? |
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> |
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> I for one miss the days where Stage-1 was the defacto install, and |
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> Stage-3 was "For lazy people who just wanted to use something". |
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> |
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> When we transitioned to making Stage 3 the default, it was like, heresy. |
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> |
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> Stage 4? :) |
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> |
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> I highly encourage people to randomly hurt themselves by attempting an |
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> unsupported Stage 1 install, just to find what breaks. |
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> |
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>> Let them use java* codes, as that is what all the universities are |
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>> teaching and promoting. I agree |
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>> with gentoo proper on severely restricting java*, on gentoo-proper, |
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>> but that sort of thing is killing gentoo and just appears to the open |
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>> world as a filter mechanism to keep out and go elsewhere, snoot. |
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>> There are just too many exciting and useful codes out there running |
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>> java. |
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> |
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> "All" ? Some. And the dominance and focus on Java is itself telling of |
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> the quality and type of the education provider. |
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> |
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> Some education providers may not touch Java at all, and focus |
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> predominantly on C. |
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|
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Sure, I agree here, but, statistically these "hi level" languages are |
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being taught, in lieu of C; and that is really sad. I'm sure there are |
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exceptions, would you have a few CS departments that push C over java |
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and the other, newer languages? (I'm curios). |
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|
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> |
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> You can't satisfy everyone out of the box. |
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> |
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> |
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> The rest of your response kinda rotates around a central axiom that |
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> makes other Linux distributions effective, and "Easy": |
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> |
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> The lack of choice, a tailored work flow, a target audience, and a |
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> narrow focus on what the vendor delivers. |
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> |
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> Gentoo is fundamentally unlike these things, because the Gentoo way has |
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> always been first and foremost about *user choice* and *maximising user |
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> choice* |
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|
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Noting in promoting an easy install semantic for a default, buildable |
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system, precludes choice after the system is installed and boot. For |
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examle a default install, using Calamares and ending up with KDE, could |
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easily then have kde removed and lxqt installed. That would be up to the |
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new user to figure out, via the handbook and the wiki.... |
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|
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|
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> The reality is a giant hunk of the world are *not interested in choice* |
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> They want something that works and get out of their way. |
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|
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Quite true, but we're talking about increasing gentoo's update amongst |
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those linux leaners, not converting windows/mac users that are not |
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interested in alternatives.... |
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|
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> |
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> That's why proprietary systems with deep, vertical architecture and |
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> product lock-in are still incredibly popular. |
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> They understand their market, and they focus on making things work for |
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> that market by tailoring it to a very narrow set of features that |
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> satisfies 95% of its target. |
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|
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Support is always a crowd pleaser, imho. So with fresh ideas, the newest |
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members support those right behind them in line with user level issues. |
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Noobs helping noobs. buntu has proven this works, if nothing else. |
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|
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> |
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> Gentoo's target audience is decidedly that other 5%, the group of |
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> people who don't mind getting their hands dirty, the group who wade up |
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> to their elbows dealing with horrible problems because that's the |
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> consequence of the power of choice. |
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|
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What I proposed, models for easier install and a VM/Container system |
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that is secure and allow for experimentation with "jentoo" does not |
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limit, but, encourage choice and experimentation. |
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|
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Let's focus on the easy install. Once folks get a running gentoo system, |
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most figure out how to manage it and like the choices, build from |
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sources (and bin packages for the larger/complex). |
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|
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> |
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> You can promote pre-boxed Gentoo products if you want, I just think |
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> you're barking up the wrong tree if you think doing that will help |
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> anybody. |
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You are misconstruing the message. It's a boxed, quick install that |
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would behave going forward, with the same (exact) semantics as a |
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grudge-filled traditional install. The only difference is that first |
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install is |
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quick, fast and easy. Nothing else changes, unless this fresh install |
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chooses to embrace additional packaging or alternative packages compare |
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to the default install. Nobody needs to make that decision. Surely many |
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will then go read the handbook and the wiki to move forward. |
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The install just becomes painless for a few basic or default examples. |
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We do currently provide an occasional 'liveDVD'. So just image one of |
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those, with an easy install pathway. |
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> |
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> As with most open source, it requires volunteer effort to make this |
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> happen, and its a hard sell to try to convince existing staff to spend |
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> more time on producing a thing that exists only to *reduce* user choice |
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> for the sake of convenience. |
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Again, you are incorrectly suggesting that these easy installs will |
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preclude traditional gentoo semantics for adding, modifying, patching, |
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or any other form of currently available modifications or enhancement |
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from occurring. I'm not certain if you are twisting the focus here |
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intentionally, or you are just limited in your imagination? Nobody wants |
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that (artificial) limitation, so why would it me the semantic going |
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forward, after an easy install? |
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Think of it like sex. All of the traditional would be wonderfully |
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available, but we're just adding a quickie (install) as an extra option. |
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No limitations, just *choice* on the install. |
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> And I just think most of our devs have more interesting problems to |
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> solve than that, and you'd be simply weakening the core Gentoo |
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> development team by trying to steal existing Gentoo staff to engineer |
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> this carefully designed and polished "Just Works For Noobs" platform. |
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Agreed. My idea is some encouragement and maybe receive a little bit of |
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positive advise. The noobs will help the noobs, and a few will migrate |
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down the maintainer--> dev pathway. |
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|
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On this list and elsewhere gentoo devs have admitted to using quickie |
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installs, and liked it. It's just frowned upon to document it and |
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encourage it. Like a wiki page on how to convert a calculate or sabayon |
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install to a traditional gentoo system. |
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> |
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> And even then, I think if you did OK, it would be striving for the |
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> wrong thing. |
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An easy install, does not have to be detrimental. Over the years I have |
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taught quite a few 'youngsters' how to drive on rural flat land in a big |
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4x4 with an automatic transmission and a booster seat. You just put the |
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transfer case into low, and they cannot go very fast and the love the |
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*power*, spinning tires and slinging mud and riding around. Later on in |
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life they all have matured into productive adults. |
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Face it, gentoo is a power trip, we all know that. Letting folks feel |
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that, in a easy, but real, quick install default version, that |
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eventually hooks them into gentoo. |
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> |
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> If you're going to come to a competition that has existing major |
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> players ( such as the "noob friendly" linux desktop market ), you have |
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> to not be simply a "me too!" in order to hope for success. |
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The power of Gentoo-traditional awaits them, soon after reading and |
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learning from the handbook and the wiki. Not all will use this, but, |
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it sure would put a more attractive face on taking gentoo for a test drive. |
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> |
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> You have to have something unique that blows all the competition out of |
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> the water in at least one way, that capitalises on an un-tapped need. |
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> |
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> Anything else will just be some pathetic copy-cat attempt. |
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> |
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> And for Gentoo, our "Unique Edge" *is* our configurability, our |
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> incredibly effective and convenient flexibility. |
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Again, nothing in this idea inhibits the full power of gentoo from being |
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available; nothing. The begging of (their) journey is easier and |
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more appealing. Many will stay in the valley of the noobs, but other |
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will turn to the handbook and the wiki; just as grasshopper became |
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shaolin, imho. Monk my words..... |
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> |
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> Sacrificing our primary benefit to chase after some other market |
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> half-assedly ... I can't see that panning out well myself. |
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You keep with this false choice, that is non-sequitur. The only limiting |
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here is your mind. |
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> |
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> Personally, I think we need to double down on what we're good at, |
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> flexibility, and configurability. |
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No arguments there. Putting an experimental for of gentoo, complete with |
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questionable java, into a secure Gentoo hosted VM or Container, |
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is not flexibility and configurability? |
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> |
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> Find ways of building systems at the users behest that do exactly what |
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> they want easily, and not assume we know what is best for our users. |
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You should go to any of the progressive job boards (stackoverflow etc). |
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Java is everywhere. It should not be mandated but a choice. Sincere the |
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are numerous issues java, secure it via a VM or a container, if that can |
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be done? |
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> |
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> Anything else and Gentoo will go in the direction of the sad sorry |
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> state of the Linux Desktop, where neither GTK/Gnome or QT/KDE are very |
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> useable anymore, and they've become encumbered with horribly lethargic |
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> and bloated design, because they were all trying too hard to chase what |
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> they thought people wanted, the standard established by Windows and OSX |
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> for "Easy". |
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> |
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Agreed and that is not what I'm proposing, either. I'm proposing an easy |
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install for a few types of basic systems (that choice is open to |
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discussion). And, if possible, a way to put either a secure VM or a |
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secure container on a hardened gentoo system to put an |
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insecure/experimental form of jentoo into. |
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No one but you is talking about any limitations. |
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hth, |
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James |
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> |
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> |