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

[Gabriel de la Cruz]

Well, as an example gentoo does not separate the distros, you select a
system profile (server, desktop, hardened...), and the system masks packages
depending on that profile and ensure dependency checks... If the user needs
to fetch a package that is masked (lets say instaling a desktop package on a
server profiled system) or a package with an old revision (lets say a
desktop wants a very stable revision of something), you can jump those
rules.
What is a real pain in gentoo is that (since it is source based, you fetch
the sources and the system compiles them) the dependencies are rather
complicated, some things wont build so easily in this or that architecture
depending on dependencies, compiler versions ect... so when you violate the
profile norms feels almost like cheating the matrix, and unless you are
careful you can drag your self into a week worth of extra work. But in
theory, the approach might work on a binary distro if kept simple.

But gentoo is the black-hole that sucks your life time into OS related
issues, not recomended if you have social life. (joke, but there is some
truth on it)

I am not even suggesting to use such method, but came to my mind after
reading last post.






On Fri, Nov 5, 2010 at 7:22 PM, Nathan Evans <ndickinson.evans at gmail.com>wrote:

> On 5 November 2010 13:05, Nikola M <minikola at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> > 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.
> >
>
> Instability in production is always a problem thats why some distributions
> release stable and unstable.
>
>
>
> > 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.
> >
>
> Thats great on a desktop, and thats why server/desktop distributions should
> be separate.
>
> >
> > 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.
> >
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