Storm Linux

Stormix, a Vancouver-based start-up, has announced the release of Stormix Linux v0.99 Alpha r1, their first public release. The new distro is based on Debian, and uses dpkg as its package management system. It seems they have some new ways of going about things, and even an interesting project called SAS. SAS allows developers to write a program once and have a text-based and a GUI interface. Thankfully, they have stated they will release all of their software under the GPL (or a "related" license).

Comments

SAS...

[Per Abrahamsen]

> SAS allows developers to write a program once
> and have a text-based and a GUI interface.

...not to mention its strong build-in support for statistical analysis.

Not really a fragmentation

[stu]

It may look as though Linux is going through the same fragmentation as UNIX went through, but this is not really true.

When UNIX fragmented, it was due to the competing vendors adding proprietary extras, closing up the code and introducing deliberate incompatibilities in order to lock in customers.

The various Linux distros, on the other hand, are all rooted in the same code base, are largely compatible with each other (bar a few different directory placings & choice of package management, etc) and by & large are not trying to lock out their competition.

Also,of the vast number of distros, a large number are specialist installs or micro distributions for narrow purposes (such as rescue disks, routers, simple IP masquerading for windows networks, etc) and do not need to be 100% code compatible with their mainstream counterparts.

Just chill out, there is room for everybody, it is going to be ok.

Re:No hacker uses vi

[Tom Christiansen]

Here's one: me.

Here are some others: Chris Torek, Larry Wall, Eric Allman, Keith Bostic, Rob Kolstad, Margo Seltzer, Kirk McKusick.

Happy now? We are. :-)