__/ [ Mark Kent ] on Thursday 15 March 2007 07:52 \__
> Roy Schestowitz <newsgroups@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> espoused:
>> __/ [ Mark Kent ] on Wednesday 14 March 2007 22:12 \__
>>
>>> Roy Schestowitz <newsgroups@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> espoused:
>>>> Review of Damn Small Linux 3.2
>>>>
>>>> ,----[ Quote ]
>>>>| Under the hood, DSL features the 2.4.26 kernel compiled with SMP
>>>>| support. The system had no trouble recognizing the hardware on our test
>>>>| laptop and booted to the desktop in around 30 seconds. DSL is committed
>>>>| to remaining useable on older hardware. In fact the minimum system
>>>>| requirements for this distro are just a 486DX with 16MB of Ram.
>>>> `----
>>>>
>>>> http://www.openaddict.com/review_of_dsl_3_2.html
>>>
>>> This approach is very very important for a couple of reasons. Firstly,
>>> there are all manner of older machines around which are still perfectly
>>> usable, given the right kind of distro. Secondly, low-power devices are
>>> ever more important, so again, the same kind of requirements are driving
>>> these forward for lightweight but functional packages.
>>
>> You keep hearing some people who say "put Windows 95 on it". They
>> fail/refuse to realise that Windows 95 is /NOT/ being maintained. Its
>> security is poor, networking is limited, and a lot of software is not
>> compatible. That's why I added the word "modern" to the subject line. It's
>> is a distribution that is alive.
>>
>> By the way, yesterday I was reminded about the value of the GPL. 2 years
>> ago I created a couple of Firefox themes and they are no longer compatible
>> with current versions of Firefox. Back then, I put the compilation scripts
>> and everything else online (including a statement that it's GPLed).
>> Yesterday I received an E-mail from a guy who will port them in such a way
>> so that they'll become Firefox 2-compatible and then E-mail me the files,
>> which I will upload to the site. See? No effort. The users do the work and
>> contribute back. Everyone is happy. The user gets what he requires, sends
>> it upstreams, and many others can then benefit.
^ upstream
> The system really does work. A short time ago, someone sent me an
> update to my streaming howto (written long long ago); essentially it
> says that the streaming works "out of the box" on Ubuntu, but at least
> he bothered to say so.
Documentation is a different matter, but at least contact is possible. Have
you ever seen names of developers or addresses for feedback (let alone
something like Bugzilla) for Microsoft software. If you develop software for
Microsoft, you are a (wo)man without a name, nor a face. You do it for the
cheque only. Does it still surprise anyone that software they produce is so
bug-ridden? The closed nature of it makes it akin to lego pieces with
plaster in arbitrary places (making patches, testing and maintenance
impossible... think DST). Honest developers don't fear or feel shy about
making their code visible...
--
~~ Best wishes
Roy S. Schestowitz | Run a Linux server, sit on your hands all day
http://Schestowitz.com | GNU is Not UNIX | PGP-Key: 0x74572E8E
roy pts/4 Thu Mar 15 03:33 - 03:37 (00:04)
http://iuron.com - proposing a non-profit search engine
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