[NTLUG:Discuss] new distro

[David Stanaway]

Michael Barnes wrote:
> Jerome Haltom told me on 8/25/2007 19:45:
>> None of that explains why you don't just build an Ubuntu installer CD
>> that installs IceWM and fix the IceWM packages that are already in
>> Ubuntu if they need fixing.
>>
>> I don't understand the allure of redoing everything.
>>
>> On Sun, 2007-08-26 at 00:24 +0000, Donald Davis wrote:
>>>> So, give me the reasons why Ubuntu or another project doesn't already do
>>>> this, or at least provide an existing platform for improvement?
>>> Most people aren't interested in older hardware.  Xubuntu the low end for Ubuntu uses the Xfce desktop and requires 128 mb of ram.  Plain old Debian is friendlier when you install it with Xfce desktop.  For the Desktops Gnome has the heaviest footprint followed by KDE take a nice step down and you have Xfce.  IceWM has a much lighter footprint than Xfce and I would like to see a distro that installs with it.  
>>>
>>> There are other projects like DeliLinux and Basic Linux.  Deli Linux looks promising and their assumption is a 486.  Vector tried to go this route but they quit.  
> 
> Why does he need a reason?  Can't someone simply run a project because 
> maybe its fun?
> 
> The explanation is because he wants to do it.  That's the beauty of Open 
> Source.  Do what you want.  Its a free OS.

If he wants users or developers to use/support his project - he should 
be prepared to answer questions like that.

You could dig up an ancient Debian release, but that won't support the 
new hardware and will have security problems.

If you want to support old hardware, what if that comes at the cost of 
supporting new hardware? Maybe have the option to do an initial analysis 
probe to see what pci devices are attached and if apropo - what USB, 
Firewire etc devices ... and then determine if a 2.4 or a 2.6 kernel is 
appropriate.

2.4 kernel support looks like its going away in most mainstream distros 
at the moment.