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Torvalds Rejects One-Size-Fits-All Linux
Barence writes "Linus Torvalds has rejected the argument that Linux developers should pool their resources behind a single distribution. 'I think multiple distributions aren't just a good thing, I think it's something absolutely required. We have hundreds of distros, and a lot of them are really for niche markets. And you need that — simply because different markets simply have different requirements, and no single distro will take care of them all.' The calls from the Linux community have been growing due to Linux's failure to show significant market share growth."
I use different distros for different tasks, because the distros themselves place different weights of importance on various factors.
For years, my servers have run on Debian plus the odd BSD box here and there. Rock solid reliability with very little maintenance overhead, but you don't get the latest and greatest stuff in the repositories.
I've got a couple of servers running Ubuntu with VMware Server on top for internal VPS work. Again, very few problems aside from a couple of issues related to kernel upgrades.
My laptop runs Ubuntu Desktop edition, which works great for me. I have almost no trouble with package management, even for cutting edge stuff, and the driver support is great.
I use a couple of live CD distros for repairing Windows systems when they get out of whack. The list goes on and on. It's kinda like programming languages; use the right tool for the job. While you *could* use most modern languages for just about any task, some are better for "X job" than others.
512 MB RAM, 20 GB disk, 200 GB transfer, five datacenters. $19.95/month.
No, no responsibility exists at all, in any situation - I can produce either a free or a pay for product, and I can happily walk away from it at any point, taking with me my tools and code and no responsibility to support you exists at all. There is no way in hell you can tell me to keep working on something that I don't want to keep working on.
We don't have to imagine. Thanks to the diversity of FOSS and the strength of the ability to bundle and innovate at will, there is Gentoo Linux and Open Embedded (which is based on Gentoo's Portage software installation and management tool.)
Guns don't kill people; Physics kills people! - John Lithgow as Dick Solomon on Third Rock From The Sun
The vanilla run on everything kernels are quite big but they include support for all types of CPU's (for that architecture of course), hardware and even debugging stuff. Ever custom compile a kernel for your running system eliminating all but the drivers you need? It becomes very small. I cant remember the last time I did but I remember it was under 10MB but I could be wrong. The Core boot team has trimmed down the kernel to fit inside a 2MB bios chip with tiny X and busy box to boot into a GUI with X terminal. Now that is small.
i just downloaded and build 2.6.27.14 and the tar.gz source code package was something like 61 megs, out of that 61 megs of source code. the kernel image itself is 1.1 meg and the modules i selected to include all installed to /lib/modules/2.6.27.14/* and it weighs in at 10 megs.
just because the kernel source is BIG does not mean the compiled/installed package is going to be big too, depends on the builder, i build my own custom kernels trimming the fat by not building support for hardware i do not own, but of course distro builders will build in more support to handle as much hardware as feasible and still have a responsive and usable kernel so the default/generic kernel in most distros will be considerably larger but will still run almost as good as any custom kernel...
Politics is Treachery, Religion is Brainwashing