Re: GNOME libs 1.0.7 has been released

[Ryan Leduc <leduc control toronto edu>]

1)  Yes, it's true that people could compile from src themselves..

    If you have an RPM based system, you're just making a mess..
    I prefer to keep tar installations to a minimum.  It's cleaner and
    easier to keep track of things..

2)  Yes, you could make your own RPMS..

    Several disadvantages with this..

    A) This is a good thing to do once so you know how, but it's horribly
       inefficient to have everyone do this every time..  It's a bad use
       of resources.  

       It's far more productive to have one person do it once, and the
       rest of us can use the time to test the software, and send in bug
       reports, fixes, suggestions, etc..

    B) Potential to introduce variations that could cause unexpected 
       problems..

       One nice thing about one set of RPMs it that you have a common
       starting point. 

    C) One of the purposes of the gnome project is to attract newcomers to
       linux by providing an easy to use graphical environment..

       What's the point of that if they have to first figure out how to
       compile the software, then learn how to make RPMs, just to try out
       this GUI that will make linux easier for the newbie..  

       It's contradictory!

       We tend to forget we have a wide range of user types here, 
       with a wide range of experiences..   For many users, it's not
       practical to expect them to install from source, or create RPMs 
       themselves.

       As for doing a buggy RPM release, and then waiting awhile 
       for an upgrade..

       You have all these people attracted to 1.0 from the press etc..
       They try it, and it crashes all the time, and thyen they are stuck
       with it  because there are no new RPMs..  They are going to want 
       to try it again, and the anti-gnome word will start to spread..

       If you are making an "ease of use" software, the first rule of
       thumb is to make it easy to install..

     
       
I think it's clear that some sort of organized method is needed 
so that RPMs and debian packages can be made available as soon as a new 
update is released.

I think this needs to be coordinated with the gnome team so that the RPMs
are consistent with the previous ones  (ie there should be a standardized
set with the final say  going to the package maintainer), and can be made
available at the gnome site.

Maybe a group of gnome users can volunteer to do this and take the weight
of the gnome maintainers?  

I'd volunteer myself except funding on my PhD runs out in about 6 months,
so I must limit my participation to bug reports..  


Ryan

__________________________________________________________________________
         Ryan Leduc         |    leduc@control.toronto.edu
                            |                                       
   University of Toronto    |   'Any mans death diminishes me,
                            |    because I am involved in Mankind;
   Dept of Electrical and   |    And therefore never send to know
    Computer Engineering    |    for whom the bell tolls;
   Systems  Control Group   |    
                            |    It tolls for thee.'
                            |   
    Toronto, Ont, Canada    |         John Donne
                            |   
                            |    http://www.control.toronto.edu/~leduc 
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