Linux standards?

[oosterhouse]

Standardization could be good for some, but I think its important to keep Linux more the way it is and like techiemoe said, we don't want dictatorship, otherwise why not just go back to windows? Linux is about learning, if we make everything so easy, then we're just going the way of windows.

[Cabhan]

When does "destandardization" become "crappy distro that can't install stuff"?

So you are suggesting that EVERY distro come with X, Gtk, Qt, KDE, and Gnome by default?

That's a horrible idea. Many new-user distros already do this, and many of us prefer to have a say in what we have installed. If you're managing a server, why do you need an X Server if you don't want one?

In addition, most distros come with a package manager that will handle dependencies for you. I know that Gentoo, Debian, and SuSE have all handled this admirably, and I believe that even FC's yum does dependency-handling. The main exception I can see is Slackware, and you made that choice when you choose it.

I haven't had dependency problems in months thanks to these systems.

[winter]

I agree on this one too.

About standards, not every distro follow them, many more or less deviate from the standards. Personally, I mount my CD-drives and USB-keys to /mnt, while the FHS says /media. I've even read about some linux distro using /Applications or something like that for binaries instead of for example /usr/bin.

attully the/mnt and /media thging were standerds laid out by the unix standards groups. Either any unix based os can use /mnt for external media or /media for external media

[jaboua]

attully the/mnt and /media thging were standerds laid out by the unix standards groups. Either any unix based os can use /mnt for external media or /media for external media

OK, good to know... I always thought it was the FHS.

[chopin1810]

So you are suggesting that EVERY distro come with X, Gtk, Qt, KDE, and Gnome by default?

NO, I'm just saying that dependencies should be standardized so when you try to install something you don't get OOPS can't find dependency B OOPS can't find dependency Z OOPS can't find dependency D OOPS can't find dependency H OOPS can't find dependency A and have to go dependency-hunting all day... that's a problem with Linux, to install Joe's program, you need Bob's kernel hack, but for Bob's kernel hack, you've got to have Suzy's patches, but Suzy's patches only work with a year-old kernel, unless you get Mike's patches to Suzy's patches, but even then, those conflict with Jeff's drivers, which can be resolved only by installing Nancy's patches... THAT'S what I'm talking about, on a more technical level...

[Cabhan]

I dunno which kernel you use, but I have NEVER needed kernel patches to install software.

And besides, the main dependencies I've found are, in fact, X, Gtk, Qt, etc. I'm not sure what you intend to standardize if not these.

And in conclusion, this is why Frozen Bubble mastery should be used to determine the next President of the United States.

[oosterhouse]

Amen to the Frozen Bubble statement.

[jaboua]

Amen to the Frozen Bubble statement.

Sounds like a great idea

[d38dm8nw81k1ng]

the ironic thing is that we linux users want to see open standards (ODF being one), yet the entire philosophy of linux would fall to bits if we standardized. what's good for one person isn't good for the next.

don't quote me on any of that, i'm just appreciating the irony of our predicament.

[chopin1810]

the ironic thing is that we linux users want to see open standards (ODF being one), yet the entire philosophy of linux would fall to bits if we standardized. what's good for one person isn't good for the next.

Yeah... which is why I think the distribution system works wonderfully here... you've got two extremes, Xandros and Slackware, but all distros have a purpose for SOMEBODY... there's so much choice... I happen to like commercial distros better, like SUSE, because there's a more stable look-and-feel and I don't need to customize everything... I like to have most things just working on a distro without the proprietary underlaying, which I find SUSE to do beautifully... whereas many of you will like to do EVERYTHING yourself... but there's a distro for everybody, and that's why the system works.