[osol-mktg] Re: reference distribution

[Brian Gupta]

First let me say that this proposal was started in a vacumn, so we can
scrap it if neccesary, and start from scratch.

> >   One of the serious issues with this approach, is that developing
> >   OpenSolaris code on a Solaris distribution does not provide any
> >   technical guarantees that the resulting code in unencumbered.
>
> Huh?   This doesn't make any sense.   What encumbrance do you get from
> developing on a platform?

Correct me if I am wrong, but wouldn't you have to rely on closed bits
to include internationalization features in your program..

> >   After this independence OpenSolaris did not start producing their
> >   own reference distribution, instead continuing to rely on Sun's
> >   Solaris Express Community Edition weekly releases.
>
> biweekly, not weekly.

Sorry, my mistake.

> >   There are certain certain bits in Solaris that have not been released
> >   to the community. This new Reference Distribution would be built
> >   without those components. Applicable suitable open source
> >   replacements would be found. If there isn't a suitable replacement,
> >   it would be incumbent upon the OpenSolaris community to develop
> >   suitable replacements.
>
> Would you include those released in binary form under the binary
> redistribution license?

You lost me here. Are you referring to closed source Sun bits? My
feeling is that we would not.

> What platforms will you be doing this for?  SPARC? x86? x64?

I would hope that I would not be alone in this effort, and yes it
would be for all of the above. (ISO's would be generated by the
OpenSolaris community, just as Sun does now.

(This would not replace the SXCE builds, but complement them.
Basically the reference build would bt the build I am proposing. Sun
could take that and add there bits, adding or removing any components
as they see fit, and running from there. (Even footing for all
distros.)