* Re: [gentoo-dev] Base system requirements
2003-08-24 13:11 [gentoo-dev] Base system requirements Devdas Bhagat
@ 2003-08-25 0:22 ` Troy Dack
0 siblings, 0 replies; 2+ messages in thread
From: Troy Dack @ 2003-08-25 0:22 UTC (permalink / raw
To: gentoo-dev
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>
> Heres a rough list to begin with:
>
> Known stable kernel
> One Bourne compatible shell
> libc (glibc/dietlibc/uclibc/...., glibc preferred)
> Anything that supports connecting to a network (dhcpcd, route, ifconfig,
> pppoe, pppd).
Not everyone wants or needs all of those ways of connecting to a network.
For some people having ifconfig is ample.
If a user needs or wants more, then they should know it and then install
it. If a user doesn't know what is needed to connect their system to a
network then perhaps they should investigate a different distribution (RH,
MDK?), or do some reading.
> Python (for emerge)
> ssh
> rsync
> cvs
Not really required unless you are going to be installing cvs-based
ebuilds, in which case it should be a dep on those ebuilds or in the
cvs-eclass
ie: those that need it will (or should) know and will install it.
> filesystem utils
> package utils (tar, bzip2, gzip, md5sum, gpg)
> manuals (man/info pages)
Perhaps a new USE flag for man and info pages could be created so that
those who are uber leet can set it to -manpages and then have none of it
installed.
> Enabled by default, but optionally rejectable:
Preferablly not enabled at all, but this is, of course, my NSHO.
> C/C++ compiler
Given this is Gentoo and it is a "Source based meta-distribution" then a
compiler is entirely appropriate.
> Perl
I think perl is used by too many things to have it removed. For those
that want to make a minimal install then they should be creating a custom
profile and have the knowledge to do so.
> sshd
Now having sshd as part of the base system is good. I imagine that not
having sshd installed by default would result in a large number of
questions on #gentoo, particularly as it is available on the livecds. (and
isn't it part of openssh anyway, that gives us the ssh client?)
> One MTA (Postfix preferred/Exim as a second choice for the default MTA).
The only mta installed on any of my desktop machines is ssmtp and it is
configured to forward all mail on those machines to a specific user on my
central server. I don't want a weighty mta on those machines. All my
mua's communicate directly with a central smtp, that way I only have to
administer one.
> a browser (lynx/links)
I know it's handy, but not really required.
> uuencode/uudecode
Not sure why you'd want these. I am yet to use either of these directly
(though I may have used them indirectly through another application).
> Devdas Bhagat
>
I think having the Base System as minimalistic as possible, whilst keeping
sane and sensible defaults is a must. Installing everything and the
kitchen sync that a user may require does not lead to:
"Gentoo Linux can become ... -- whatever you need it to be"
I don't want to sound elitist or exclude new users from attempting to use
Gentoo (and I'm more than willing to help people on #gentoo, as long as
they are willing to help themselves a little too), however I do feel that
a certain level of knowledge, or linux experience is required to use
Gentoo.
Gentoo linux can be a huge learning experience for someone with little or
know linux knowledge, it can extremely liberating for someone who has used
other distributions because as a user you have to do so much for
*yourself*.
Sorry if this is too much of a rant, I just get annoyed when people want
to remove or diminish the great flexibility that an initial Gentoo install
gives a user, purely to make it "easier" or more "newbie friendly".
- --
Troy Dack <tad@gentoo.org>
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