This thread has 2 issues, my comment is on the public mirror topic:
I had, a couple of months back, a discussion with the group-leader at
Switch who is responsible for managing the Switch mirror site: the
Mandriva repositories had all at sudden disappeared from that mirror.
I was told that removing Mandriva had been a strategy decision, trying
to confine the size of the Switch mirror to a "reasonable" size, and
that the access count to the Mandriva repository did not justify to keep
it. My private opinion is that Switch - an educational organisation -
has made a mistake here.
That means that mirror sites do watch
- the size of software they keep
- the usage of the corresponding mirror
- the "relevance" of that software.
It may be a good idea if Mageia initially focuses on getting support
from some few well-placed mirrors who can be convinced that Mageia is a
promising "startup" distro and merits goodwill in a pump-priming spirit.
I guess the language groups could help establishing contacts.
To come back to my Switch experience: I have still good relations with
their management; at that time, doubts about Mandriva were spreading and
I did not have the necessary arguments for a discussion at that level.
This will be different once Mageia is established and has a "good image"
and a distribution anounced for date xxx. Is it worth while to have a
small group of "advocates" who are mandated by Mageia to talk to mirror
sites and discuss which sites to contact? If that helps (and offloads
the people who do "everything"), I am willing to participate and help).
I think at this point, it is more of who you know personally at a
potential "mirror site" location that will most likely help out. Mirror
space is not taken lightly as it normally involves a certain amount of
strain on the mirror site system. However, in the same breath, if the
traffic on the mirror does not show enough usage, then it is considered
a misuse of space and , like you said, in the case of the Switch mirror,
the mirror is shut down.
Plus, if there is still no movement in the Cauldron showing that it is a
going concern, then most mirror sites will only say to come back to talk
to us only when you have something to show.
Marc
