Linux is not about choice [was Re: Fedora too cutting edge?]

[Christopher Brown]

On 10/01/2008, Patrice Dumas <pertusus at free.fr> wrote:
> On Wed, Jan 09, 2008 at 07:38:42PM -0500, David Zeuthen wrote:
> >
> > On Thu, 2008-01-10 at 01:19 +0100, Patrice Dumas wrote:
> > > It isn't that simple. Do we also want community handle on fedora or
> > > not? I really like redhat leadership and innovations, but I don't want
> > > to be a puppet either. If people from the community with specific needs
> > > and wants are to be accepted in fedora, it means that radical simplicity
> > > is not possible.
> >
> > Oh nice. Now you're playing the "RH vs. community" card. Priceless. News
> > flash: this is _not_ about RH vs. the community. It's about realizing
> > that software development is _hard_. It's about realizing that throwing
>
> It is not exactly "RH vs. community". I just want to make sure that
> things like xdm, initng, fluxbox, compat packages, xpdf or a non linux
> kernel (all are things that are duplicates of other packages) are still
> welcomed in fedora. After all it is not necessarily an issue if not, but
> this should be stated explicitely.
>
> My personal understanding of fedora was that a package was accepted as
> long as it was free software, usable in fedora, and decently integrated.
> Isn't it still the case?

Of course but at some point, particularly with something such as
separate subsystem stacks in the kernel, someone has to make a
technical choice. In this instance JuJu was enabled in 7+ with the
intention to work with the maintainers to resolve issues as they
arose. Firewire in Linux is a mess but it is improving, thanks largely
to the JuJu team and if I may say, the inclusion of said stack in
Fedora. One of the maintainers is extremely active on the Fedora
bugzilla.

So when those qualified to do so make that choice, they are merely set
as defaults. If you want the old firewire stack there are third party
repos rolling kernels with it included. If you want xpdf over evince
then you can have that as well. Some software such as fluxbox caters
for smaller markets so it won't ever be default but as long as it
works for what it does it will be there.

That is what a distribution is essentially - a set of software
packages deemed to be the best in class. It won't suit everyone but it
should suit most. 80/20 rule and all that.

Cheers

-- 
Christopher Brown

http://www.chruz.com