Rodd Ahrenstorff wrote:
> 4.  Applications are not duplicated.  There isn't 3 different
> browsers, 4 email clients, 5 editors , etc...  One popular application
> is installed to perform each task, however others are included on the
> cds.  

Jim Crumley wrote:
> I have a hard time seeing how this is an advantage.  There are several
> instances where giving multiple options would be useful.  For example

Before I get the subject, I guess I'd like to counter this with some
real-world examples.  Here at the IMA, we cater computer services to a
number of users.  We get users of all kinds, each with their own
preferences.  Standardizing on one desktop environment would be easier
for the sysadmins, namely me, but it wouldn't provide the users of the
hundreds of machines the tools that they're used to.  If our
distribution were to only package one set of tools, then we would be
hamstrung.  That is why we use either Red Hat or Debian.

The downside to this is that we have a HUGE archive for Debian.  There's
close to 8000 packages right now.  Truely an astronomical number.

Jim Crumley wrote:
> For example for text editors, a console capable text editor is a must,
> even if the user themselves won't use it, recovery situations if X
> breaks.

This is VERY important.  You need to be able to edit files on the root
drive when in single user mode.  /usr may not be mounted, and therefore
my favorite editor, vim, is not available as it resides in /usr/bin.  I
must fall back on the only default editor that installs in /bin on
Debian: ed.

Debian does install nano and nvi, but both of these also live in
/usr/bin.  'ae' was the standard on boot floppies, but I no longer see
it in the debootstrap list for "required" or "base" packages.
Not surprisingly, it's also not in the archive any longer; it had many
bugs.

What does Debian require for a default editor in /bin?  It must be
multi-architecture, meaning it can compile on all of the Debian ports.
It must be small.  No emacs here, folks.  It must be dependable.  You
can't get more standard than ed, (or cat and sed for the hardcore
admins).   Still, without man (it lives in /usr/bin), you have no
command reference to use.

I believe elvis-tiny does install in /bin, but it cannot be distributed
as a "base" package because it's not exactly cross-platform. *sigh*

-- 
Chad Walstrom <chewie at wookimus.net>                 | a.k.a. ^chewie
http://www.wookimus.net/                            | s.k.a. gunnarr
Get my public key, ICQ#, etc. $(mailx -s 'get info' chewie at wookimus.net)
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