Linux Format forums

M-Saunders · Moderator Joined: Mon Apr 11, 2005 1:14 pm Posts: 2881

"Now just hold on a minute! Who appointed *you* BDFL? Wink Laughing"

Fate Smile

Actually, it'd be really cool to have a regular poster from these forums in charge of the distro side, if possible. But if this idea went ahead, there'd have to be someone who linked it all together with this website, magazine content, and various other admin-type stuff. IOW, all the LXF/Future-related stuff would probably go through me.

Hence I don't want to take on a gigantically time-consuming job if it all falls apart, and then we need to keep it going for whatever reason Smile

As you say though, there are plenty of experienced users who're regulars on here, so that side of it may not be a big issue if it went ahead.

M

Erin · Posted: Fri Aug 12, 2005 4:55 pm Post subject:

Rhakios · Posted: Fri Aug 12, 2005 7:58 pm Post subject:

Apart from the interest of learning how a distro is built, which could mre easily be got from studying an existing distribution, what does such a project hope to achieve?
The words "Oh no! Not another distro!" are constantly in my mind while reading this thread. It seems to me that people are bound to lose interest in such a project, after the initial enthusiasm, as it is hardly likely to introduce new technology or even end up being suitable for eveyone's needs.
But don't let me stop you. I'm just a disappointed optimist.
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Bye, Rhakios

nelz · Posted: Fri Aug 12, 2005 8:29 pm Post subject:

I tend to agree with Rhakios here, which is why I kept saying we need to address the "why". Without a good reason for doing this, people will lose interest. Given a good motivation to keep people going and it could work.
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Unix is user-friendly. It's just very selective about who it's friends are.

Rhakios · Posted: Fri Aug 12, 2005 8:52 pm Post subject:

Ooh, my cynical mind has just thought up a good way to keep people interested. Make it the only distro LXF will support, i.e. answer questions in the magazine and on the forums about. Any other distro, tough luck! Also, all the articles in the magazine could be oriented around the packages and features of LXF_OS.

That should be popular. Wink

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Bye, Rhakios

nelz · Posted: Fri Aug 12, 2005 8:58 pm Post subject:

How long would it be before Linux Magazine put a pre-release ISO of LXFOS on their DVD? Laughing

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Unix is user-friendly. It's just very selective about who it's friends are.

Erin · Posted: Fri Aug 12, 2005 9:06 pm Post subject:

We'd make it good so before LXF get a copy?
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Dual PIII 550 with Ubuntu [semi-bleeding].

Rhakios · Posted: Sat Aug 13, 2005 1:38 am Post subject:

jjmac · Posted: Sat Aug 13, 2005 2:57 am Post subject:

Concerning the problems of planning and scale, why not just let it start very simply and develop its own course in a way. Some greate works of art (aka worth heaps) were made when the artist was blind -=- note: picaso -=- the guy had to be off his face -=- As a series on how to get a base system together It could act as a kind of wrapper for things like Gentoos' 1st stage and the LFS project. Becoming a form of template. There are also a lot of side effects involved which effect using Linux generally. In terms of compilation and cli/scripting techniques.

As a number of site people have put together their own LFS, and there are Gentoo people, including Slackware people ... there should be adequate forum feed back available, unless it's just ignored that is.

I'm suggesting to not so much to start out to create a distro as such ... that is quite ambitou, and does bring in the concerns of sustainability. Especially in its reflection on the mag if it just folded. But just a simple series on the workings of a base system. On the interalationships involved, why so much is apparently needed to get the thing to boot minimally in the first place. And that wouldn't be that simple really. Quite a deal of time could be spent there, especially if people did take it up to experiment with, which would be a good sign. There are sure to be lots of "how does that go again and why so" posts [ especially from me (grin) ]. Which would help in giving an indication on at what level, or in what way it should develop. If it does seem to catch hold then it could be gradually taken up to other levels. That would help to simlify the overall planning concerns, as it would then become incremental, a bit like an incremental system update ... It would also simplify the issues of commitment. There's no point in organising a party, just to find out everyone has changed there mind and gone out to a rage instead Very Happy

Purpose ?, Linux started out as an enthusiasts interest ... so, why not. It would be extremely educational if not anything else.

jm

Nigel · Posted: Sat Aug 13, 2005 10:52 am Post subject: Re: RE: Home Brewed Distros

nelz · Posted: Sat Aug 13, 2005 11:35 am Post subject: RE: Re: RE: Home Brewed Distros

That's already come up recently in another thread, where I mentioned I'd already suggested an article or two on this. Can I count on you for another vote?

Nigel

Gordon

A basic LXF distro would be great ... as long you don't let 1sf (troll) get anywhere near the bootloader part Smile

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Violence is the last refuge of the incompetent

towy71

Gordon: you've gone and done it now Confused

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still looking for that door into summer

Gordon

No offence to 1sf (troll) intended Very Happy

At least he tries which is more than can be said for the posts of scort02 Mad

I've got a question about oading an initial console in the help section. This is the sort of thing you might expect from a tutorial series on building a distro. I still think it's a brilliant idea though. I just wish I knew a lot more than I do in order to be able to contribute in some way Very Happy

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Violence is the last refuge of the incompetent