Ubuntu CD's for Free

[Collins Richey]

On Wed, 08 Dec 2004 08:32:43 -0600, Michael Hipp <Michael at hipp.com> wrote:
> Jerry McBride wrote:
> > On Tuesday 07 December 2004 10:13 pm, Michael Hipp wrote:
> >
> >>I have. There is much I like and respect about Gentoo. But until someone
> >>cares enough about it to give it a real installer I won't be able to
> >>consider it for any kind of serious work.
> >>
> >
> >
> > Are you serious? Gentoo has been one of the best linux distributions that I've
> > ever tripped over. With Gentoo, you get exactly what you want... anything
> > from a light weight server to a full blown desktop...
> 
> I didn't say it wasn't a good distro. It is, in fact, an excellent distro. It
> is just missing one essential feature - the built-in ability to get a system
> up and running in a minimum of time and manual labor.
> 

Yes, I agree, and those who are working on this essential feature
agree too. Meanwhile, the troglodytes on gentoo (ca. 2% of list
subscribers) howl that this will open up gentoo to the unwashed masses
- heaven forbid, they might actually post questions to the list that
aren't approved by the self-appointed elders.

> 
> > As for "a real installer"... it has one already. It's called "good
> > documentation" that easily converted to an install script if you are so
> > inclined.
> 


> And why would I want to spend my time re-inventing something that every other
> distro has already done for me?
> 

Ajai, you're missing the point. No one should have to craft his own
install script. "Good documentation" is great, but easy to use
installation scripts (or gui, if you prefer) are a great blessing.
Michael is not so inclined to roll his own, and he's not the only one.
Why should anyone have to reinvent the wheel or sit at a terminal
monitoring what is essentially a canned (although at present oh so
manual) procedure?



> Last time I installed Gentoo it was several hours of heads-down tedious manual
> labor followed by about a day and a half of endless compiles. I can't make
> money that way.
> 

I agree wholeheartedly, and help is on the way to the great chagrin of
the troglodytes.


> People rightfully complain about the excessive "religion" in the Debian world
> over what is puritanical free/non-free. 

Yep, and the active hatred of newbies doesn't help, either.

> Unfortunately Gentoo is crippled with
> a worse religion about keeping out the riff-raff and measuring the length of
> the male body parts over who can come up with the most difficult install process.

Yep, the troglodytes are noisy, but those who really care about the
distro are working quietly in the background to rectify the situation.
Unfortunately for the troglodytes, the camel (new users who aren't
aging sysadmins) already has its nose in the tent.

> 
> I think the Gentoo folk are a bunch of weenies since none of them dig sand to
> make their own integrated circuits. ;-)
> 

I love it! To rework the metapher, the troglodytes can pound sand for
all I care. Most fortunately, a saner bunch of people are in control
of gentoo development.

I just love how tolerant this list has become. On what other list
could a discussion about ubuntu de/upgrade to a discussion about
gentoo without the mighty masters of mail etiquette jumping down our
throats?

-- 
 Collins