Debian vs Suse

[Paul Thompson]

Leo J Mauler wrote:

>>That's where libranet comes in. I expect that in the next year 
>>debian will have anaconda tweaked into place.
> 
> Anaconda?  As in "if you have less than 128MB of RAM, *don't bother
> installing Linux*"?
> 
> Even at 64MB the RedHat Anaconda installer whines and whines about not
> having enough resources, and at 32MB to 40MB it takes its ball and goes
> home.

Just for the record, a bit of clarification here.

The port of Anaconda to Debian is something that was started by someone 
outside of the current mainstream Debian movement - not by the main 
project group itself. That effort was started by the Debian founder, Ian 
Murdock. He has not been very active within Debian for quite some time.

However, he started doing some stuff (on his own) I believe recently 
that included porting Anaconda to Debian. After this was announced, Ian 
& the Debian project exchanged some polite communication to make sure 
everything was good.

The more important thing going on in the Debian installer camp is the 
new & improved Debian Installer that has been being worked on for 
several years now and is finally coming to fruition.

That brings up my favorite thing about Debian. The Debian project is an 
example of a great technical masterpiece. The manner in which a Debian 
Linux system operates is beautiful.

The reason behind this is that all of the various chunks of the system - 
including the packaging system, the alternatives system, the NEW 
INSTALLER, etc, etc, etc - have been very carefully designed.

Every once in a while, perhaps once a year or so, a group within the 
Debian project discovers a part of the system that could use some 
improvement and comes with some ideas on how to do that. They then 
usually work on it for somewhere between 2-4 years until they have a 
solution in place that is done correctly, skillfully, and thoroughly.

None of this hack something in crap that we see in the likes of Redhat, 
Mandrake, or Microsoft. Rather, improvements that were carefully planned 
and made to last.

And this is the reason that Debian has the following it has today. For 
example - when the packaging system was created, it was done in such a 
way. Consequently, it is the best packaging system out of ALL of the 
Linux distributions.

Examples of this sort are numerous within the Debian project. Basically, 
when something is found to be broken, they fix it - no matter how long 
it takes or how much of the system it effects. They just fix it - no ifs 
ands or buts.

I have seen this happen so many times within the Debian project that I 
have even grown to appreciate the 2-4 years or so that it takes for one 
of these ideas/fixes to go from idea to reality. I can depend on Debian 
from one year to the next.

With the crap going on with Redhat recently, that is a very valuable 
thing to be able to say about a Distribution.

Anyways, back to the installer (if you are still reading... :).

A group within the Debian project started efforts probably 3-4 years ago 
to correct the problem with our crappy installer. And it has taken that 
long because they are doing it RIGHT. I don't know all of the details, 
but here is some of what I DO know.

1. It involved creating some miniature version of packages called udebs, 
or micro-debs. I don't even begin to understand this, just thought it 
was neat.

2. It will be flexible. This will, I think, allow for multiple 
frontends, canned installs (where you have a recorded set of 
installation instructions that can be repeated without required 
interaction), etc.

3. It will be stable.

Anyhow, enough of my Debian soapbox. I am very much a Debian fan, 
obviously - can't live without apt, etc. :)

Leo - if you need a hand getting Debian setup, give me a holler. I have 
probably installed Debian 30-40 times (I used to run a Linux User group 
in Stillwater, OK).

-- 
Paul Joseph Thompson
captbunzo at squirrelmail.org
AIM/Yahoo/MSN IM: Captain Bunzo
ICQ Number: 38801719