[ug-bosug] Fwd: [osol-mktg] Re: reference distribution

[Joe G (Joseph George)]

Good words about BeleniX as a reference distro.

~Joe


Begin forwarded message:

> From: Eric Boutilier <Eric.Boutilier at Sun.COM>
> Date: 7 May 2007 8:39:27 AM GMT+05:30
> To: Stephen Lau <stevel at sun.com>, opensolaris-mktg at opensolaris.org
> Subject: [osol-mktg] Re: reference distribution
> Reply-To: Eric.Boutilier at Sun.COM
>
> On Tue, 24 Apr 2007, Stephen Lau wrote:
>> Tim Foster wrote:
>>> Do any of the existing distributions do what's being suggested ?
>>> [ a freely distributable reference distribution of OpenSolaris ]
>>
>> Not to my knowledge.
>>
>>>
>>> Schillix being the closest to Solaris would seem like a candidate,
>>> though it hasn't been updated in a while.
>>>
>>> Belenix has a wow-factor that's pretty cool, and fits on one CD, but
>>> doesn't ship the JDS consolidation.
>
> The Belenix project has definitely laid almost all the
> necessary groundwork though. So just add JDS to Belenix;
> then, for a gentoo-like update mechanism, add in pkgbuild
> (the JDS/SFE build-recipes repository and tools).
>
> Eric
>
>>>
>>> Nexenta is more aimed at GNU/Linux userland fans. Martux is sparc- 
>>> only
>>> (isn't it?) and so cuts out a large portion of the install-base.
>>>
>>> So - we'd be left with needing to create a new distribution for  
>>> this,
>>> possibly with worse hardware support than Solaris Express ? (unless
>>> there exists open source equivalents for every closed source driver
>>> shipping in Express ?)
>>
>> It will definitely be a subset of the hardware support of Solaris
>> Express since we wouldn't be able to ship drivers we don't have the
>> rights to.
>>
>>> Given an open source reference edition of OpenSolaris, then it'd  
>>> loose,
>>> say Nvidia 3d support & whatever closed-source wifi/ethernet  
>>> drivers are
>>> out there, fluendo mp3 support.. Speaking for myself, that'd make  
>>> such a
>>> distribution less attractive for my (fictional) laptop.
>>
>> Sure - but it might be appropriate for others.  I suppose I'm  
>> looking at
>> it from this perspective:
>> if I'm an OpenSolaris user group on Gilligan's Island with no Sun
>> employees around to give out copies of SXCE, and I've got a hundred
>> little islanders around me with laptops.  Do I do nothing? (since I
>> can't distribute SXCE?)  or do I give out *something* (OpenSolaris
>> Reference Distro), even if it may not be fully supported on  
>> everyone's
>> machine.
>>
>>> On the other hand, perhaps I'm not the target market.
>>>
>>> Is a reference distribution aimed at developers of new  
>>> distributions,
>>> that is, is it intended to be used as a base for building new
>>> distributions from ?
>>
>> That's one use case, certainly.
>>
>>> Or is it aimed at developers of open source drivers/components for
>>> OpenSolaris who don't like the restrictions of running closed- 
>>> binaries
>>> that ship in Express?
>>
>> That's another.
>>
>> > If it isn't as good as Solaris Express, then
>>> what, other than it's unencumbered-status would be the attraction  
>>> of it
>>> for a casual end-user ?
>>
>> If the casual end-user has a means of getting Solaris Express,  
>> then it
>> wouldn't hold any additional attraction.
>>
>>> [ sorry for all the questions - I'm thinking about the answers as  
>>> well,
>>> lest you think I'm just trying to shoot down everyone's ideas ;-) ]
>>
>> No worries, I appreciate the discussion.
>>
>> cheers,
>> steve
>> -- 
>> stephen lau // stevel at sun.com | 650.786.0845 | http://whacked.net
>> opensolaris // solaris kernel development
>>
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--------------------------------
Joe G (Joseph George)
Joe.G at Sun.COM
http://www.blogs.sun.com/josephgeorge
http://www.belenix.org



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