On Fri, Dec 05, 2003 at 03:20:45AM -0600, cobaco <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > _ideally_ there are no changes. In practice there will be.
Why? > For instance: > In skolelinux there's currently a package called locale-config-skolelinux > which sets up de default locale for all users. This package is not part of > Debian. Instead there's some discussion with the relevant maintainer about > merging locale-config-skolelinux, language-env, and the different > user-language packages, with the hope of eventually creating one package to > set the default locale for both single users and the system as a whole. Then that discussion needs to be resolved so that a solution can be made that is in Debian main. I'm sorry, but I really have a hard time with this. A Custom Debian Distribution is nothing more than what is provided within Debian proper, as Andreas said. While a Debian subproject may consider and make use of stuff in development that is outside of Debian while transitioning it to be "pure Debian", the formal definition of CDD cannot include materials outside of Debian main, otherwise it is not Debian, and cannot contain the name "Debian" in its title. Skolelinux, as you say, is a perfect example of this. Skolelinux is not a CDD. It is a project in transition to becoming a CDD. As I understand it, Skolelinux is not entirely there yet, for the reasons you have already mentioned. It has its own history and its own needs which are for the moment unresolvable within Debian. Furthermore, it does not contain 'Debian' in its title, so there is no confusion. This is clearly a Debian-derivative, not a CDD. > - -> while being a subset is the goal we have in mind, it's not always the > actual situation. This is a consequence of > 1. inertia in Debian, because of which getting things changed takes a while > 2. the fact that some experimentation is often necessary to find the right > solution, leading to non-optimal solutions that "get the job done" being > used by the CDD in the meanwhile. Sure, and that's what the 'experimental' ftp archive is for. Now, I'm not saying that Debian derivatives shouldn't exist. It is important to acknowledge that they do, but at the same time work towards eliminating, as much as possible, the need for their existence outside of Debian main. Not all reasons for being a derivative (or "Debian-based distribution") can be eliminated (such as the inclusion of non-free or contrib software). However, I believe the reasons for Skolelinux not being a CDD can and will eventually be resolved. Ben -- ,-. nSLUG http://www.nslug.ns.ca [EMAIL PROTECTED] \`' Debian http://www.debian.org [EMAIL PROTECTED] ` [ gpg 395C F3A4 35D3 D247 1387 2D9E 5A94 F3CA 0B27 13C8 ] [ pgp 7F DA 09 4B BA 2C 0D E0 1B B1 31 ED C6 A9 39 4F ]