RPM vs the world (was Re: [TCLUG:9416])

[^chewie <chewie@guinness.urw.org>]

On Sat, 30 Oct 1999, Christopher Reid Palmer wrote:

CRP >The fact that they do not preclude each other makes
CRP >transition very easy. Include both kinds of packages, merge
CRP >the code from the installer programs so that you have one
CRP >installer that understands both packaging systems, and
CRP >slowly migrate to having all or most of your packages in one
CRP >format. Forever include support for both, since it costs
CRP >nothing. Where's the beef?

Check out the program called "alien" that is packaged in the Debian
distribution.  It may also be packaged RPM, AFIAK.

CRP >The community, for the most part, has chosen RPM. Red Hat
CRP >and derivatives, as well as other distros that use RPM (SuSE
CRP >is very popular) constitute the majority of Linux
CRP >installations.

I love this kind of assumptive email.  It only proves the power of
marketing.  RedHat has done an effective job providing an accessible
means of installing Linux to the average consumer.  They have
contributed a lot to the Linux community as a whole.  Commercial
software manufacturers have picked up on this and included "Linux"
versions of their software packaged in an RPM.  These are undisputed
facts.

But saying that "the community" has chosen RPM is a blindly faithful
statement.  The last time I installed RedHat was in '97.  Since then,
I've been using the Debian distro for reasons of stability and
security...and for DEBs.  Who do you define as "the community?"

But all of this is moot.  Who gives a damn what package system you use
or what distribution you use?  I will second the notion brought up by
one of the other list members.  The LSB will be a welcome addition to
the Linux "community."  Having a standard file system and a standard
system initilization scheme will make incompatibility problems between
packaging systems a thing of the past, or at least a problem of much
smaller scope. :)

Later!

    ^chewie

+----------------------------------------------------+
| Chad Walstrom           mailto:chewie@wookimus.net | 
| ICQ: 9985127           http://wookimus.net/~chewie |
+----------------------------------------------------+
 Need a new truck?  Check out my '97 Explorer 2-door
   Sport at http://wookimus.net/~chewie/truck.html