[geeks] RedHat restructure

[Kevin]

I don't use Slackware because of it's packaging system, i use it because i can ignore the
packaging system and it doesn't get in my way.

I would not be against dependency advisories as long as they don't "bother" me by default.  I don't
wish to be advised.  It would be fine but it would need to be something that has to be explicitly
enabled.

As for the bloat issue, i don't mind it being on the CD but it does PISS me off that as of late they
don't include the kernel source on the main install CD.  Ditch KDE and GNOME and give me the
damn kernel source.

They need to kill this new network config BS.  I never had any problems with the previous methods.

"cruft often left behind as packages are removed (much of this seems to be fixed now)"

I hadn't noticed this behavior because i generally only install the very basics from the Slackware
CD itself and later manually install the main stuff i use, but if i saw Slackware leaving crap
around after it was told to remove packages, i would be very agitated.  This is one of my big gripes
with Win32 and Redhat.

I've never built Slack from source so i'll take your word that it's a PITA and it needs to be fixed.
 I've compiled Rock linux but that took forever so these days i just compile my main apps and kernel
and leave everything else as is.

All in all, i've tried 10+ different distros of linux and Slack (and maybe Rock) are the only ones
i've found to be acceptable so i'm real touchy about the possibility of them being fsck'ed up.

/KRM


On Mon, 10 Nov 2003 23:09:43 -0500
Charles Shannon Hendrix <shannon at widomaker.com> wrote:

> On Fri, Nov 07, 2003 at 03:37:49PM -0500, Kevin wrote:
> 
> > This is very true, but IMHO, that means it is time to use a system
> > which implements this (and has for some time) such as Debian or Red
> > Hat.  
> 
> There are several reasons to use Slackware besides the package system.
> 
> > I would like to keep Slackware the way it is, 
> 
> I would like to see it improve, myself.
> 
> Besides, nothing I suggested would change it from your point of view.
> 
> You don't want new features?  Fine, don't use them.  Note that my
> suggestion was for advisory features.
> 
> > and although i haven't done any market research on it, my suspicion is
> > that the majority of Slackware users are of like mind.  
> 
> I have used Slackware for 10 years, from the very first SLS releases,
> and haven't found the package system to be the primary reason for using
> it.
> 
> The philosophy I know about, if there is one, is on qualities like this:
> 
> * less SysV /etc mess than others, more BSD like
> * packages have saner build parameters
> * it is easy to make a small system with fewer dependencies
> * the system is well tested, fixes are rarely a problem
> * as few changes as possible to the original software, just enough to
>   fit it into Slackware
> 
> Most users do like the simplicity and functionality of the Slackware
> system, but a great many of them over the years have rightly
> complained about its faults:
> 
> * no file manifest for each package (doinstall.sh actions make the
>   ones in /var/log/packages inaccurate)
> * no dependency information
> * poor versioning (largely fixed now)
> * limited description system
> * one of the worst source build systems in the UNIX world
> * cruft often left behind as packages are removed (much of this
>   seems to be fixed now)
> 
> I really like Slackware, but can't ignore the problems it has.  That
> just doesn't make sense.
> 
> A few changes to the package system could be done which would fix most
> of the above, and people like you might not even notice they were there.
> 
> Well, except that you might be able to finally do a build world on
> Slackware, which would be amazingly cool to me.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> -- 
> UNIX/Perl/C/Pizza____________________s h a n n o n at wido !SPAM maker.com
> _______________________________________________
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