PROPOSAL: Core redefinition

[Jos Vos]

On Sun, Jul 25, 2004 at 11:08:17AM +0100, Andy Green wrote:

> Redefine "Core" to mean a true minimal install.  I have a remote dedicated 
> server that is running Fedora (fantasically) for example, that scenario is a 
> great candidate for being "Core".  No Xorg, try to shrivel package 
> interdependencies to a much better minimum set.
> 
> [..]
> 
> All the extra packages are installed by yum or equivalent once Core is 
> installed and running, as a normal action.  Packages installed should be the 
> latest available from repos available, not the ones on install media, just 
> like a real user using yum update.  Nothing to stop Anaconda allowing package 
> selection at the start of the install and automating the install action on 
> the first reboot.

What about automatic installation (kickstart), what about install media
(network access should *not* be a prerequisite), what about the number
of CD's we need when we split up the non-core stuff in all kinds of
additional sets, what about...

Not meant to be specifically a response to this posting, but I think
shrinking the core distribution is a very bad thing.  It should be a
*complete* distribution, otherwise it just is not a distribution.
If people nearly always need more than the core, why would we want to
leave it out for that few percents that only want a firewall?  Anaconda
still has the minimal install option.  A tool for creating a small
package subset for a specific purpose, honouring all dependencies,
would be a handy thing, for people that want their own small subset.

-- 
--    Jos Vos <jos at xos.nl>
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