[OpenIndiana-discuss] I figured this deserved a separate thread

[Nikola M]

Christopher Chan wrote:
> Ubuntu is currently one big mess and their LTS release policies are
> laughable. Yeah, I have a stable version of Pidgin but it did not do
> Yahoo anymore on Hardy well before Lucid got released.
*/Starting ubuntu part../

Hi,
I also used to use ubuntu Hardy and I used GetDeb.net software
repository for new software for LTS release.
But problem with that is that people maintaining GetDeb, also chaised
newest Ubuntu release, too, so it was just to pospone and extend
lifecycle of LTS with newer apps till next LTS.

At the end, I ended up downloading .dsc tar.gz and diff.gz files for
newer packages from newer ubuntu releases and compiling it themselves.
And sometimes i coould satisfy dependencies (with also compiling newer
libraries from newer release etc) but at the end, it came to a halt
because ever newer apps nedded updates of some core libraries that
required.. OS update. So I basically got stuck to latest available app I
could compile as package.
Then there was PPA (personal package archives) with packages of newer
programs and if you ask them nicely, they were making packages, for
older LTS, too.
And Finally I started downloading and using .tar.gz compiled binary
programs from project sites and that was just about when new LTS came.

*/..Ending Ubuntu part/

So, About OpenIndiana/Illumos I can conclude this:
For desktop use it is better to have newer distribution/system, even if
it brings some instability on application level (update of newest
security-patched web browser, Office, mail client, etc)
but it is mostly important to have Core OS updated and security patched.

I measure quality of free software distribution, by that how much is it
able to use all newest app with no need to question Core OS update.
And I think that its binary compatibility, OpenSolaris Based
distributions have much better starting position for this matter,
providing community is big enough and continues to grow, for both
Server/CoreOS use and Desktop use with newest applications and
desktop/drivers.

So As I understand Server user/CoreOS is function of usability, new
technologies and mainstream use for the things iluumos based
distributions and OpenIndiana are used.
Desktop use rely on CoreOS is usable and running and simly compose
itself of Newest packaging of applications, fine-tuning user experience
(Everyone wants to see how OS "looks like" graphically and those things
interesting for laptops.
So I think OpenIndiana is on right course.