WSJ: Mossberg takes the Linux bait and snarls ....

[Andrew Kelly]

On Mon, 2007-09-17 at 07:38 -0500, Les Mikesell wrote:
> Andrew Kelly wrote:
> 
> >>>>> I agree 100% with one of his beefs.  Laptop touchpad sensitivity.
> >>>> When I'm 
> >>>>> typing (and as I touch-type around 50 wpm, the keyboard is really a
> >>>> humming) 
> >>>>> often the cursor will jump to where the i-beam for the mouse is;
> >>>> ooops, left 
> >>>>> click.  But I didn't touch the touchpad.  Aggravating as all get
> >>>> out.  (And 
> >>>>> if someone knows a way to turn that down, please let me know, as
> >>>> I've not run 
> >>>>> across the setting yet).
> >>> It seems to me that Mossberg has identified a terrific business
> >>> oportunity. Someone for $50-$100 will configure all the things he feels
> >>> currently are obscure to configure. It only has to be configured once
> >>> and then mass copied.
> >> That's almost the model that I foresee actually working for whatever 
> >> unix-like system implements it first.  Make the package manager just a 
> >> bit smarter and add a 'publish' button somewhere so a person who had 
> >> configured a nicely working system could export his installed package 
> >> list and custom configuration settings, and it would result in a URL 
> >> that anyone else could click to duplicate that setup slightly more 
> >> closely than matching kickstart installs would.   That way someone could 
> >> tweak a machine to someone like Mossberg's satisfaction, he could push a 
> >> button, and the next day a million people could be running "Mossberg's 
> >> recommended Linux".  Or the same for someone who actually knows how to 
> >> configure a linux box...
> > 
> > Outstanding idea, Les. You know if anybody is currently working on
> > anything like that?
> 
> No, everyone wants to make up new distribution names, spin CD's and 
> build incompatible repositories instead of cooperating and making a 
> package manager smart enough to do this.

Oh, you're talking about a completely new package manager. I thought you
just meant something standalone which would/could export a config,
basically building a better mousetrap in a kickstart sense of things.

Whatever. I'm in, either way.
I've been looking for something of that magnitude as an anchor project
in a long-term thing I'm currently conceptualising. 

You in, too? Or are you in more of a "peel me another grape" place right
now?