Re: Some unanswered questions about SEUL (plz ack!)

[Micah Yoder <yoderm@geocities.com>]

Erik Walthinsen wrote:

> > 1) What will be the license?  I do not remember any clear statements
> > about GPL.
> 
> The plan is to stay GPL'd as much as possible.  Some packages have licenses
> identical in spirit, so we may not be truly 100% GPL'd, but effectively so.

No one ever debated me when I mentioned KDE/Qt.  I know Eric and Peter
don't like the Qt license.  I don't love it, but I maintain my position
that we should pick the BEST software for end users over a GPL
"bigotry".

Also Java is not GPL...

I guess the biggest problem with the Qt license is that you can't write
KDE applications for money without forking out the $2000.  And granted,
that might be a big enough problem to remove it from consideration.  But
if we're not concerned about commercial apps, then I see no reason not
to consider KDE.

> > 2) What will be the goals?
> >   A distribution made from the grounds up or one taking the best in
> > each existant distribution and working from there to go farther?  The
> > former approach leads to much wheel reinvention.  In particular I do
> > not see why to build a new package manager when there are two good
> > ones (RPM and DPKG) with source code available.

Someone mentioned here a while ago that we need to rethink our goals
from the ground up.  Are we *sure* RedHat hasn't just done our work for
us with 5.0?  The reviews make it sound pretty easy to install and use. 
It includes the GIMP, which shows that RedHat is serious about making
its OS a good end user tool as well as a server.

Of course, Linux in general needs all the work it can get, mostly in the
form of end user applications.  Perhaps we should forget about making a
distribution alltogether!  Just work together to write programs and
encourage others to do the same.  Fix bugs in other software (InfoWorld
complained about a bug in their FDISK front end).  Write better
configuration managers.  Write a help system and propose that it be the
standard for all Linux apps.

Once we do all that, we can hope that other Linux distribs incorporate
our work.  If they don't, we make our own distribution.

> One possibility is that RedHat and SEUL may over time become so similar as to
> be considered basically identical.  Another would be RedHat taking SEUL under

I think RedHat and SEUL really do share a common goal.  RedHat is
progressing rapidly.  They're not there yet, but wait until 7.0!

> it's wing and handling distribution, support, etc., for it, by making it a
> companion product to the "classic" RedHat distrib.  The classic distrib for
> hackers, the SEUL distrib for the "masses".

Why do they have to be seperate?

> > 4) Project leaders are supposed to coordinate groups.  I do not see
> > any dicussion going on and I have not seen any message stating what
> > will be done in any particular area.

Yeah......I need to get into the apps scene more.  My biggest problem is
that I have a regular job during the day, then when I get home I'm tired
and all I want to do is read or surf the net.  :-)  I want to learn Java
and C++/GTK better, but I'm having trouble getting the motivation. 
Aaargh.

I'll be available pretty much consistently (except for two and a half
weeks in Feb/March when I'll be going to Venezuela) although I'm not
sure I'll have a *hugely* significant roll.  I do have big ideas on the
application front though, and I want to see Linux excel in this area. 
It will, in time.  I'm sure of that!  :-)

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