Ian Murdock wrote:
So, it seems the crux of the matter is the following decision:
1. OpenSolaris should remain a source base only. Sun
and others use that source base to build (potentially incompatible)
operating systems based on the OpenSolaris code base.
2. OpenSolaris should be an operating system in its own right.
Multiple implementations (distros) can still exist, but they must
remain compatible with each other to use the name OpenSolaris.
Some people here think #1. Other people here think #2. So, it appears
we're at a decision point. How exactly does the "community decide"? Just
wondering, because that isn't entirely clear to me. And if there's no
clear
answer to that, then something's very wrong, because in the absence
of clear decision making processes, we're just going to argue
endlessly. If you want more details on why this thread
worries me, see http://www.linuxformat.co.uk/murdockint.html).
P.S. - The decision really isn't as stark as that just yet. All we're
asking for is a project where we can *explore* #2..
I think our problem here is the word "OpenSolaris" and that
some people have particular "ideas" about what it should be.
Is it a community?
Is it source code?
Is it binaries?
What is it?
(These are rhetorical questions, if you want to answer
this then please blog about it in depth.)
Perhaps what this community needs to do is have a distribution
that includes OpenSolaris, be built/designed/refined by the
OpenSolaris community, but that goes by another name
(since it appears that it is names that are of concern.)
This lets us say that "OpenSolaris is a source code thing only"
but at the same time say "X is the reference distribution of
OpenSolaris by the OpenSolaris community".
(I'm hoping this lets us get away from arguing about what
"OpenSolaris" *is* or *isn't*.)
If we are to say that "Project Indiana" is the reference
distribution of OpenSolaris then that solves the naming
problem - well of the project, at least :) But I don't
know if that usurps the intent of what you're intending
with Indiana or not. If it does then we need to start
a new project. Either way, we should probably have a
vote (at some later point in time, if this strategy has
merit) on a collection of suggestions for what the final
reference thing is called.
I think taking that approach lets people be happy that
OpenSolaris is just source code but at the same time
it provides the community with the means to define
what the base components of a distribution of
OpenSolaris are to be.
Afterall, a name is just a name, and if Linux can be
bundled under Fedora, SuSE, Ubuntu, etc, and still
shine on, why should this community feel like it
needs to use OpenSolaris for everything?
Darren
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