What is the fascination with 'spins'

[Martin Sourada]

Jim Cornette wrote:
> monty19@ hotmail.com wrote:
>> OK, here goes.  I'll probably have to duck and run for my life after 
>> this, although it's not my intention to upset anyone by any means.
>>
>> Personally, I think having separate ISO images for Desktop, 
>> Developer, Server, KDE, and whatever else is a pretty silly idea. 
>
> Agreed, especially if one uses programs from all categories.
>
I agree, too. What am I supposed to install if I use one machine as 
ftpserver, media center and as development workstation all at once? I 
like to select packages I want during installation and have them all on 
one dvd rather than downloading it lately from internet... However, 
there are also some pros for the spins... As some say - it makes the 
installation easier to newbies. Next it allows some degree of 
optimisation for the kind of use.  But I think a lot of the optimisation 
could be done from anaconda instead using same DVD for all. E.g. setting 
up start up services. On server no one needs bluetooth, on laptop one 
does not need ftpserver, on desktop I would wonder if anyone needed 
power manager (examples)... Also, others may have different point of 
view from mine and say that they want to do some minimal instalation and 
then install what they want from internet to save bandwidth. Well, if 
you do only few installation of each release, it could save some (you 
must download big DVD, and then, after install, update a lot of 
packages...), but if you install the same on many machines this way is 
rather bad.

I distinguish only three spins: Desktop, Laptop, Server. I don't know 
why GNOME and KDE ought to be distributed in two different spins? I 
think many users who use GNOME use KDE apps as well and KDE users use 
GNOME apps... I don't like the (K/X/...)Ubuntu way. The old Fedora way 
was better for me (and as I see to some others too).
>
>> I just can't help but feel like this is a less than ideal turn of 
>> direction for Fedora, not just for the reasons above, but also 
>> because it is going to confuse new users.  Which of the discs do I 
>> want?  What if I need something else?  Do I have to create my own 
>> spin?  Can I download it afterward?  Simple questions for everyone 
>> here, but it's going to confuse the daylights out of people looking 
>> at Linux as an alternative to whatever they are running now...
>>
>> Just my two cents, for whatever they're worth...
>
> I couldn't answer as to other users possibly being confused by all of 
> the different models or if it will make things simpler for them. I do 
> talk with some people who are overwhelmed about how to start with 
> Linux and fear taking the plunge into the OS. Maybe Linux with very 
> little power is what these sort of users need. No server applications, 
> development tools or CLI powertools. I don't like the idea of a 
> downscaled Linux environment myself though.
>
> As of now, I do not know how to make a spin of the binaries yet. It 
> appears that one will need to start learning how to in order to get an 
> install media that is usable for many installations.
>
> Jim
>
Agreed.