Re: SEUL: available software

[Alexandru Dan Corlan <dcorlan@ottonel.pub.ro>]

> It sounds like Alenandru is ready to call the question.  I would like to
> chip in my two cents worth first.  My orignial installation was
> Slackware, my upgrades are now with rpm.  Rpm is a great improvement from
> my perspective.  I don't know anything about Debian.  I guess they are a
> little more linked up with the FSF.  By the way, the SEUL project covers

Perhaps more linked psychologically. debian.org is a sepparate
non-profit organisation.

> just the sort of territory that is fertile ground for the FSF.
> 
> Anyway once we get all of these people on Linux we will need a upgrade
> tool that is simple as well.  There are millions of Linux users out
> there already who would like to upgrade their present installations
> with a SEUL tool.  
> 
> I would like to know what restricitions a Debian choice would put on
> these potential users?

As far as I know, there is a program which allows the
conversion of non-deb packages to Debian. Also, almost everything in
widespread use is in the debian distribution.

Installing a debian package over an existing, say, Slackware installation
is possible, but the `central repository of packages' kept under
debian is not usable of course (and this is a very valuable feature).

Debian requires strict adherence to the file system standard.

Generally speaking, if someone has any other distribution there
is no need to relearn installation `the simple way'. If s/he
need something new s/he can simply install that.

> 
> In a similar fashion would SEUL Debian installs be able to upgrade from
> Redhat rpm's or .tgz files?

Yes, using `alien'. I don't know how eould this influence the 
central repository of installed packages and the control
over what is installed and what is not.

Nevertheless, the main idea in SEUL (it seems to me) is
to have  a strightforward installation and especially
a consistent, documented, simple and clear exploatation
of the system. Mixing packages and file-system organisations
does not seem to me as the most important issue.

I never used RedHat, but I strongly believe that the
Debian development model, with one developer on the net
for one or a few packages which he chases and the distribution
of which he constantly polishes has a better future than
with a company which must pay its way towards a clean system.

The base of the Debian distribution (the dpkg) also seems to me to be
very solid--a stable piece of GPL-ed software which approached
the (relatively simple) problem of package dependecies in an
exhaustive and definitive manner, and solved it.

Regards,
Alexandru



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