| gloob | [fernando00] Hello |
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| gloob | Our next talk is managed by Gustavo Gonález from Colombia, He works in "Soluciones Kazak Ltda." |
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| gloob | The activities of Kazak Ltda is spread free software philosophy in their country, doing talks in universities and other places |
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| gloob | He also colaborate with UniNet other times thats because we're very thankful him |
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| gloob | It will have a simultaneous translation to english in #redes channel and #qc channel for questions |
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| gloob | The today talk is called "Handbook for create your own Linux distribution" |
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| gloob | I wish all of your enjoy this talk and learn with us |
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| gloob | Gustavo... |
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| gloob | [xtingray] |
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| clsk | today's topic is divided into three sections: |
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| clsk | - an introduction about the topic of distribution personalization |
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| clsk | - a general exposition about a particular case of linux distribution |
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| clsk | - and to finish with, a small group of conclusion about the topic |
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| clsk | as it right now, there is a total of 218 linux distributions (including all versions for mobile dispositives and embedded systems) in the database |
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| clsk | of these distributions, 25 have been officially discontinued, or the official website has simply disappeared. |
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| clsk | or new versions have been developed in at least 2 years. What with come up with is a total of 193 linux distributions being mantained and developed |
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| clsk | statistics based on the webpage: http://www.distrowatch.com/stats.php |
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| clsk | after known these numbers, it's usual to come up with very solid and valid questions among the linux communities: |
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| clsk | why so many linux distributions? |
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| clsk | is it worth that so much diversity or is the developer community sinning in an excess of uncontrolable diversity? |
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| clsk | To what point is it worth to generate a new linux distribution? |
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| clsk | About this, some personal comments: |
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| clsk | - Citing Eric Raymond in one of his texts, it's important to watch NOT to reinvent the wheel |
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| clsk | However, we cannot forget that the high level of competivity among groups of developers of free software tend to generate solutions of great quality in different categories (KDE vs GNOME, Mozilla vs Konqueror, etc.) In other words: Diversity is also important |
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| clsk | What's the point of balance then? As it right now the idea of iniciating a proposal (distribution) starting from scratch doesn't have much sense |
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| clsk | When the available alternatives are so elaborated and configurable. To my own judge, the posible intention of creating a distribution with the excuse of coverin a new necssity or to optimize an existante proposal should be translated in personalize a new excistant version that aproaches to the wanted solution |
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| clsk | As a matter of fact and from a long time ago it has been the tendency... from those times when we which what we started to hear was adds like: "Mandrake will be a distribution based on RedHat" |
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| clsk | Fortunetly, with time, the free software evolutionates and even the idea of personalization, "customize", "base in" are still the tendency that diversifies and multiplies the available distributions |
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| clsk | It is also true that the work model has stopped being a capricious art or maybe too different, to become in a standarized procedure |
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| clsk | and supremely modular that is generating a new form to concieving the concept of linux distribution as it is. Beyond the point, i will talk more about this at the end of this conference. |
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| clsk | Next, lets see how has the technique of "personalization" of the distribution evolved studying a particular case. |
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| clsk | MORPHIX: the mother of many penguins :) |
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| clsk | What is Morphix? |
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| clsk | Based in the official "dictionary" (http://www.morphix.org):Based in the official "dictionary" (http://www.morphix.org): "Morphix is a derived work from Knoppix (http://www.knoppix.org/) and created by Wa from Landgraagf (a.k.a. alextreme), thus Debian, another type od distribution LiveCD with a special characteristic; it's modular structure |
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| clsk | this means that it is conformed by a group of parts which are united at the system initialization time and form a distribution with perfect functionality |
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| clsk | A distribution type LiveCD is characterized for no requiring to be installed in the hard drive of the computer where it's run. Generally it can be used configuring the system's BIOS so that it looks at the CDROM as the first dispositive, the rest of the job is run by the distribution's installator, which automatically unzip the kernel in memory and tries to detect the computer's hardware and loads the respective modules. |
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| clsk | s/installator/installer |
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| clsk | Finally, the installer runs the boot scripts for some services, including the network configuration (which is usually DHCP by default) |
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| clsk | and at the end it tries to start an X client through which the user can start working. |
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| clsk | If there are no exotic dispositives, the installer performs all the operations automaticall, which allows us to get a working distribution in less than 2 minutes. |
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| clsk | (It could be less than 1), without having to use the hard drive of the computer nor any kind of manual configuration being performed by the user. |
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| clsk | The number of distributions of type LiveCD has been increasing in the last months, Howeverm, not all of them have the option of performing a new installation in the hard drive; Morphix does (and Knoppix too). But lets not lose the focus of this talk, the fundamental characteristics that make Morphix a new special distribution: It's modularity |
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| clsk | Known as the capacity of being disarmed in specifics and independents blocks |
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| clsk | Peculiarly this charasteristic adquires its true sense before you start thinking about "burning" a new copy of Morphix, not after :P |
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| clsk | What graphic client will the installer have? How many and what applicatons? What default language? Does it include personal information and own programs? |
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| clsk | Do you want a picture of your room as the wallpaper by default? The user of the system decides this. |
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| clsk | It is something like going shopping to the supermarket and choosing what you like better... you select, build and burn; in some way your own distribution |
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| clsk | Which is not only a LiveCD, but that also has a complete installer in the moment you want/need it. |
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| clsk | I have always thought that it's an effective resource for when you want to impress your girlfriend, but Morphix's potential goes beyond that. |
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| clsk | Actually there are many versions available from the Morphix site (http://morphix.sourceforge.net/modules/mydownloads/) and some of the personalized modiles with different configurations. |
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| clsk | Among the complete versions of the distributions there are: |
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| clsk | Morphix LigthGUI: Made for systems with low hardware resources. Driven by XFCE windows and thiny applications for the internet. |
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| clsk | Size of the image (iso) : 203 MB (aprox) |
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| clsk | Morphix Game: based in LightGUI and as its names says, thought to have fun with open source games. It includes the drivers for NVIDIA video cards |
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| clsk | Size of the image (iso): 636 MB (aprox) |
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| clsk | Morphix HeavyGUI: Thought for systems with generous hardhware resources |
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| clsk | Driven by GNOME 2.4 windows, OpenOffice, Xfree 4.3 |
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| clsk | Size of the image (iso): 480 MB (aprox) |
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| clsk | Now lets talk a little bit about its architecture. |
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| clsk | Internal Structure of Morphix |
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| clsk | Morphix is conformed by three parts: A base modile (A), One ore more principal modules (B), and opcionally, one or more mini-modules (C). |
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| clsk | The base modiles is a segment very faithful to Knoppix. This module contains the kernel, its respective modules, detection of hardware, etc... |
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| clsk | After that module (A) is completely loaded, it's last mission is to load the main module (B). |
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| clsk | A main module consists of a file system (the root); this module operates independently from the base module (A) and gives the user its work enviroment (X server, windows management, applications, etc.) |
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| clsk | The main module as first instance checks if there are mini-modules (C) to load |
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| clsk | Which can affect its own functionality, after this it runs its own boot scripts, and finally gives the user the selected functionality |
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| clsk | The mini-modules are really (small) file systems substracted, and also have boot scripts. You might do anything with a mini-module (C), you can choose which main module to load, which mini-module. |
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| clsk | The detailed version about the architecture of Morphix can be consulted in: |
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| clsk | http://am.xs4all.nl/phpwiki/index.php/MorphixIdeasManifesto |
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| clsk | Sequence of System Initialization |
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| clsk | Sequence of System Initialization |
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| clsk | Lets check the following diagram: |
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| clsk | http://am.xs4all.nl/morphix/diagrams/base-module-simple.png |
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| clsk | I'm hoping to put up the spanish version in: http://www.kazak.ws/morphix/diagramas/base-simple.png but it's not yet available :S |
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| clsk | In the diagram you can see the main components that interact in the beggining of the CD |
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| clsk | for those of you that are curious you can check: |
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| clsk | In this diagram, the details are more precise |
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| clsk | Structure of the CD Installer |
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| clsk | [Correction: the spanish version of the diagram will be available in: http://www.kazak.ws/morphix/diagramas/base-complex.png ] |
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| clsk | About the description of the file system of the Morphix CD, you can consult: |
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| clsk | http://am.xs4all.nl/morphix/diagrams/cdrom-overview.png |
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| clsk | The spanish version will be available in: http://www.kazak.ws/morphix/diagramas/cdrom.png in a small amount of days :P |
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| clsk | Process of Personalization of Morphix |
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| clsk | Official Documentation about this can be found in http://am.xs4all.nl/phpwiki/index.php/MorphixDevel |
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| clsk | Available scripts in the official site (to automatizate the process of installation): |
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| clsk | http://morphix.sourceforge.net/modules/mydownloads/viewcat.php?cid=8 |
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| clsk | My own scripts (xtingray's of course): |
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| clsk | http://www.kazak.ws/morphix/scripts/ [ I could handle to upload them before the client that delayed got here ] |
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| clsk | correction: [ I could handle to upload them before the client that delayed me got here ] |
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| clsk | At this point... I need to clarify something |
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| clsk | I inicially followed the steps that are in some of the pdfs that are found in the official Morphix webpage, but in some segment the procedure failed, i can give faith that my scrits work, because I already have a small version working :) |
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| clsk | So if you want to save some time... check out the steps I did |
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| clsk | I could keep explaining to a lower level the different characteristics of Morphix, but then this would become a bit too long and boring. This is why i invite you to the conclusions |
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| clsk | The concept of modular distribution (like Morphix's case) to its best level could represent the extintion of the concept of tradicial linux distribution and limit it to a structured squeme in which the advantage of application and tools are parts of a puzzle that the end user choose to his/her own need using an installation system with excelent manage od dependencies (In the case of Morphix: .deb) |
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| clsk | People from Sion... Listen to me!) this is the future I see coming: |
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| clsk | Imagine for a moment through a graphic interface in a step-by-step way (call it application "W") you can select the packages that you want to include in your application so that "that day" |
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| clsk | (something similar to preparing a sandwich for lunch), imagine that the application "W" has an index ode respositories with ultimate versions of all the packages available in the internet, including an access of different versions of base modules with particular versions of kernel and the modules. Think that you can choose the language by default of your distribution. |
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| clsk | Even the type of topic for you windows manager (including the desktop image), from the interactive menus of application "W" |
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| clsk | In less than 10 clicks you could make the image (iso) that you want without having to worry for dependencies of packages, including the insertion of your own applicatibes and personal information like your webpage or a literal piece. |
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| clsk | A liveCD? or a conventional installer? |
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| clsk | I personally consider that this fugure starts with Morphix and that it's not far from our days. Will we talk about mantaining distributions? or of mantaining applications? Time will tell. |
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| clsk | Just like its own creator indicates in his website, Morphix is still a project under development. Which means that there is still alot of work to do, tools to create and optimize, procedures to automate and fragments that can still be more modulars; but as i said before, the future starts with Morphix and it is close. |
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| clsk | My text ends here and i will proceed to show the questions that were made in #qc and this channel (#linux) so that tye can be translated |
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| clsk | <krocz> asks: As the linux community is going right now, with its diversification, what is your opiniong in respect that the same that happened in the 80's? where the application were not compatible anymore among different versions of unix? |
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| clsk | my opinion (xtingray's): I consider that the same way in which we daily come across with problems with incompatibility, also we find that big campaigns in pro of the open standards |
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| clsk | For the community of free software it's clear that the way to go should be the compatibility, and to this the respect of the norms and adaptabilities of all the leves... which implies: come to a deal |
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| clsk | I want to think that we are going to the unification of criterias and not to the dark side :P |
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| clsk | The topic is complicated and it is valid to make excelete forums... to touch topics like LSB, etc.. |
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| clsk | So i leave the topic open, so that you share it among eachothers |
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| clsk | <EMPE[log]> xtingray: Does Knoppix also have this modularity? |
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| clsk | in my opinion (xtingray's): no. Not to the level of morphix... even though Knoppix is personalizable, and it lets you play with the way of the installer in such a way that it's very flexible. To my judgement Morphix's design is relatively simple... But not such a good idea, that further to the impolementation, the design is greate: practical and simple |
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| clsk | <feistel> how do you update the software in Morphix? |
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| clsk | You can do this mounting the system (chroot) of the CD in a conventional debian system... then you play with apt-get and install whatever you want :) the process is more datailed, but in general lines, is what you need to do |
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| clsk | in the URLs that showed in the conference you can find precise instructions :) |
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| clsk | <GuBA> question: How do i do to modify the boot image of Morphix? |
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| clsk | http://www.knoppix.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=7 |
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| clsk | http://www.knoppix.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=4181&highlight= |
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| clsk | there you can find the explicit procedure |
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| clsk | <jimys> the cdlive runs from memory, but for this there are two options. Ones is ramdisk where you mount home and var and the other one is etc where the root system is mounted, it's possible the size of the root? |
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| clsk | jimus: the size of the root is a variable, depending on what you install, the size will increase... how you mount la raiz and the mini-modules: the oncept of compressed loop filesystem comes in action... there's no much documentation about this, but i can give you a brief hint of where to start :P |
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| clsk | How long will it be until we can see stable versions of modules (A) and (B) for Morphix? In this moment you can already download versions of the modules... to my judgement they are very stable, but Morphix is in its version 0.4b |
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| clsk | <guerrilla> xtingray do you think that in the future there will be standard distributions like debian, slackware and redhat...? |
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| clsk | In my opinion: i think that the right thing is to think in the unification of criterias to the point that the concept of distribution as we know them actually desappear |
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| clsk | This would help alot to get rid of the painful weight of the "good" maintainment of a distribution. I love slackware, but it hurts me when it takes long for new versions to come out. |
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| clsk | I want to think that we're going to worry about making better applications and not to soffocate ourselves mantaining something that as Morphix shows, can be modularized |
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| clsk | Question: Could a distro be personalized start from what you have installed in your hard drive? in an automatical form, meaning, without having to look the packages you have etc etc ? |
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| clsk | No, to play under the logic of Moprhix, you should start from the minnimum components that make the distribution |
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| clsk | at least the base system |
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| clsk | <kozko> i like the idea of a graphic program to costumize a Morphix distribution |
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| clsk | have someone started to work on them? |
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| clsk | as far as i know, there are only scripts that make the job easier, but not an application as i described in the conclusions, it would be great, do you think so? |
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| clsk | <JAIGO> I'm sorry if you have already talked about this, but what about Morphix as my server? |
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| clsk | Once morphix has been installed, it becomes in nothing different to a debian server... is it for a hard mission? obviously you will have to reseatch a little bit more... i shoot you back the question: How about debian as server? |
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| clsk | If the process of distru disappears, in what position would IBM, Novel ... be? |
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| clsk | i think this question is very important... ehem!.. In my honest opinion: i consider that the modile of business around the free software should be focused to the services, not to the software itself. |
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| clsk | Added to this, i consider that the best technologic tendencies should not be condicioned for what is better or not to the companies that support the movement of free software or that base their business model in it. |
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| clsk | To my judgement, what should determine the north of the future of free software is its quality... the evolution will talk over the interests. Note: this is only my opinion |
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| clsk | xtingray what do you think about the propose of LFS agains Morphix? |
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| clsk | My opinion: i consider that they are two projects with different natures. |
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| clsk | LFS: is to learn how a distribution works from the inside |
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| clsk | Morphix is to think in functional and stable implementations |
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| krocz | congratulations clsk |
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| EMPE[log] | plas plas plas plas plas |
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| EMPE[log] | plas plas plas plas plas |
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| EMPE[log] | plas plas plas plas plas |
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| EMPE[log] | plas plas plas plas plas |
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| clsk | geez there are more questions but i think this is the best moment to open the channel and that all of us apport. Ladies and gentlemen thanks for your attention |
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| EMPE[log] | thanxs for you cooperation! |
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| Nurbs | thanks a lot clsk |
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| clsk | krocz: thanks |
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| clsk | you're welcome |
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| Nurbs | I wonder if anybody else listened ;) |
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