From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 Return-Path: Received: (qmail 28270 invoked by uid 1002); 25 Aug 2003 00:23:00 -0000 Mailing-List: contact gentoo-dev-help@gentoo.org; run by ezmlm Precedence: bulk List-Post: List-Help: List-Unsubscribe: List-Subscribe: List-Id: Gentoo Linux mail X-BeenThere: gentoo-dev@gentoo.org Received: (qmail 13463 invoked from network); 25 Aug 2003 00:22:58 -0000 Message-ID: <53439.203.10.231.229.1061770975.squirrel@tkdack.bpa.nu> In-Reply-To: <20030824184147.B31154@evita.devdas.geek> References: <20030824184147.B31154@evita.devdas.geek> Date: Mon, 25 Aug 2003 10:22:55 +1000 (EST) From: "Troy Dack" To: gentoo-dev@gentoo.org User-Agent: SquirrelMail/1.4.0 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain;charset=iso-8859-1 X-Priority: 3 Importance: Normal Subject: Re: [gentoo-dev] Base system requirements X-Archives-Salt: 59d49bcd-bedf-4999-ac4a-c9d0b523f5d2 X-Archives-Hash: 53117501a83970ab150c3e132896ec72 -----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- Hash: SHA1 > > 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 -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Version: GnuPG v1.2.2 (GNU/Linux) iD8DBQE/SVbE/YkW+U2QvjwRAphzAKDNGyEURwr5oAIh1pd75WapSxLT6ACgkyjk vdbN/dAeaGcg9ubQFV3t9UQ= =J9uW -----END PGP SIGNATURE----- -- gentoo-dev@gentoo.org mailing list