Ok, everyone missed my point regarding static RPM's...it's the CHOICE that matters. I didn't say to eliminate dynamically linked RPM's, just add the static ones, so people have a choice. Plus, as I stated, on a minimal install, maybe keep those RPM's statically linked and the optional RPM's statically available. And who cares about the extra release size. If clients don't want it, they won't buy it, or download it but who knows how popular this idea would be because no one has tried it. Linux has always been about choice. If a techie wants a lean mean Linux Machine he isn't likely to be running Mandrake anyway as he/she would have a preference for the command line and would usually care less about all the GUI intensive stuff that Mandrake includes, because, as I said, it's target market is mainly the desktop.
I see everyone's point and it is well taken but answer yes or no, would releasing statically linked versions of RPM's speed the uptake of Linux on the desktop. I think if you all are honest, the answer is a resounding yes. I for one would take a basic Mandrake install and then add the extra software not included in the distro via static RPM's. It is probably more important for app developers to take this tack than a whole distro but it bears thinking about... I am for anything that will help Linux grow in market share in every quarter, as long as it doesn't dilute the basic principles of the OS, which this idea doesn't. As for a Debian/Mandrake distro, just because Mandrake has taken the few good Debian by-products and put them to good use in their distro does not, in and of itself, warrant taking onboard the whole shebang. Mandrake has used the good and ditched the rest so what's the problem?? I, and most others on this list do not want to wait LITERALLY years to be up to date with my Linux system. Debian has its merits but a merging of the 2 distro's is a bad idea, plain and simple. If there is a distinct and significant advantage of a deb package over an RPM I'm not aware of it. Could someone please enlighten me, otherwise this whole subject is moot. Kind Regards, Jason
