News :: New linux.com review
Author raises some very good points.
Check it out!
Title: 'DSL 4.0: Damn small improvement'
URL: http://www.linux.com/feature/120923
Took a quick look.. I thought jwm was now the default wm?
It makes one wonder when the reviewer can't even get the window manager right.
In the age of so many distributions, some of which are nothing more than swapping out a different window manger, or just another collection (assembly of) applications with little to no original code.
It makes me ponder on whether to continue. When the credit is always given to John Andrews and many other contributors, when in fact I have created every iso since v0.5.3.1 and 90+% of evey change log is my original work.
When complaints are raised about bash scripts, when I still support computers not even capable of running X windows.
When everyone else has moved on and enjoy the ease of use of only supporting unionfs/aufs, 2.6 kernel and its built in hardware support, and only support X windows.
When most live CD based system run everything as root. It makes me wonder why I bother.
When I conduct a poll to see what the community wants, the smaller is beautiful concept of DSL seems to win overwhelminly. The community has continually expressed little desire for a me-too larger 2.6 based DSL.
Perhaps I am a relunctant distro maintainer. I get no joy compiling the creative work of others. I get no joy assembling yet another distribution from stock applications. I do get joy writing original code and pushing the envelope of what can be done within 50MB.
I don't have new hardware. I don't plan on buying hardware for something that is given away for free. As some of you may be aware, Warren of Mepis fame, had to go back to being a consultant because there is no money to be made doing a distribution. Why, do I? I am a disabled retired individual. I like to try to keep my mind sharp. I have muscular dystrophy. Doing DSL keeps my mind off my condition.
DSL is a single developer distribution. It is indeed a thankless endeavour. Never is what you do enough.
Or, alternatively: DSL is so kick-ass, so inexpressibly good, that when it disappears, people will really start talking.
Bottom line is, on the high end (newer eqipment) one has a hell of a lot of choices when it comes to distribtutions. On the other end of the spectrum there are not many choices still being maintained.
It is completely stupid to think that a 2.4 kernel under 50MB distro is going to support the latest hardware. It is not. So I wish reviewers would stop reporting that it doesn't. That's not news or worthy of reading. Finally, not knowing how to press F2 or F3 to use framebuffer is too bad. Hey, but when one has the luxury of the latest hardware who the hell needs framebuffer.
There must be a community of those who benefit from DSL when on Distrowatch it is #10, on Google ranking #7 and on Alexa #6. Perhaps many framebffer machines are still running and useful to some.
So, do I think DSL is kick-ass? No. DSL does it fill a need in supporting older hardware and using less capable hardware for interesting uses, yes.
Are DSL's days numbered? Of course, so true for everyone and everthing. Its called life cycle. All aboard the bloat-mobile. Everyone else is. Should I?
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