further package removals/potential package removals

[Jeff Spaleta]

On Sat, 22 Jan 2005 20:39:26 +0100, Peter Backlund
<peter.backlund at home.se> wrote:
> There seems to be a general consensus that Core should have no more than
> one or two pieces of software for any given task. 

I'm not so sure there is a general concensous about that.... I see
people lobbying for several different usage cases but I don't see a
clear defined set of usage cases that Core is suppose to fulfill by
itself.   'General Purpose' is too vague.  I think Core needs to back
up and define one or two specific usage cases and target those.. and
move out applications and technologies that do not fit into the
primary usage situations.   Core right now is a compromise that suits
pretty much everyone equally badly.  And while thats an admirable
feat, its doesn't give a clear guiding perspective for the future .

If there is serious interest in slimming Core down.. then a decision
has to be made to define a reference usage case or two so we can get
past personal preference and make decisions based on the design needs
of the usage case goal.  If a reference usage case for Core is suppose
to be a developer oriented workspace thats going to impact the
decisions as to what is important to include. If a reference usage
case for Core is suppose to be a desktop for the average human, that's
going to impact the decisions in very different ways. If Core is
suppose to provide both.. well guess what.. Core will continue to be
4+ CD images.

You can't have a small footprint and have ultimate flexibility.
Frankly I think the community has a whole is better served if Core
defines its primary usage case to be average human being's desktop and
push as much of the developer and highly technically oriented tools to
Extras.  I personally use emacs and tetex more than openoffice.org...
but i would much rather have Emacs and tetex maintained in extras than
move openoffice.org out.  I think a primary usage case that places a
premium on out-of-the-box ease for a developer or 'power user' is
somewhat backwards. I certaintly don't NEED emacs and tetex to be
installed by default. I simply NEED a way to get those tools installed
from media. And the same goes with most of the non modern desktop
tools i need to write code or technical documentation. And I would say
'most' of the fedora developers know enough to get by just fine if
they had to use Extras to get developer oriented tools installed.

But even 'average human being' isn't specific enough.. i think there
needs to be some very clearly defined usage cases or personas that
Core needs to target, personas or characters that can be used as a
reference for decissions as to what applications to include paying
very close attention. Not just typical day-to-day tasks as the
persona.. I know some people inside Red Hat think in these terms and i
think it needs to be applied to Core's definition as a stand-alone OS.

-jef"My general rule of thumb is... if I use it on a daily basis.. its
clearly not something an average person will want and therefore it
should not be in Core"spaleta