Re: tlug: FreeBSD News issue 2

["Alan B. Stone" <stoneab@example.com>]

>splintering could be a danger for Linux, and I think the time has come >for the industry to take steps to resolve areas where there is >splintering, and to prevent further splintering in the future.

Granted I haven't been using Linux as long as some of you, but here are
some big problems I see:

1.  Stop coming out with new versions every other day.  Excuse me, but I
have to respect distibutions like Slackware which seem to only change
versions when MAJOR differences have been made.  I can't tell you how
mad I was when REDHAT sold me over the phone 5.0 right after I had
purchased CDE 1.2.  I'm beginning to think RedHat has fallen into the MS
mindset..."...if we don't change version numbers every couple of months,
we'll loose are customer base...the way to keep them coming back is to
change versions on them...."  (I'm not talking about patches, which
seems to be the new trend in version number changes...i.e. Oops, we
messed up and rushed this product to market, when we knew it wasn't
ready...oh, that's okay...let's just wait a few months and release 5.1,
it will be a big hit).  Sorry...if I seemed a little torqued. 
Truthfully I've been a big RedHat fan, but lately I find myself
searching for something better.....so

2.  I agree that there needs to be standardization.  Several of the
distributions are not just different, they don't even resemble one
another.  

3.  FreeBSD may not get the press, but if you read the newsletter and
check out their homepage, you'll realized very quickly that their
history/roots is what helps their reputation.  I've read and heard many
people comment on Linux not so favorably (not well educated), but they
have favorable opinions on FreeBSD due to the fact that it is BSD for
the most part.  LINUX, needs to become LINUX and not Debian, Slackware,
RedHat, SuSE, PnP, MkLinux, Linux-FT, Caldera OpenLinux....etc. 
However, this said...you could say the same of Unix in general.  You
have AIX, SunOS, Solaris, AT&T, Xenix, SCO, Digital, etc.

Linux and Unix developers need to get it together.  It would be nice to
purchase any one of the fore mentioned distributions have feel good that
you could run any package you wish on it.

Well, that's my two cents.  I've been displeased recently over the MANY
changes that RedHat has decided to make so rapidly.  They seem to be
grabbing the spotlight, but if they continue to put out packages like
5.0 that aren't backward compatible or allow upgrading, they won't stay
their very long.

Take it easy,

Blaine
> --------------------------------------------------------------
> Next TLUG Meeting: 13 June Sat, Tokyo Station Yaesu gate 12:30
> Featuring Stone and Turnbull on .rpm and .deb packages
> Next Nomikai: (?) July, 19:30 Tengu TokyoEkiMae 03-3275-3691
> --------------------------------------------------------------
> Sponsor: PHT, makers of TurboLinux http://www.pht.co.jp

-- 
Alan B. Stone
Yoshi.Island
Email:  stoneab@example.com
--------------------------------------------------------------
Next TLUG Meeting: 13 June Sat, Tokyo Station Yaesu gate 12:30
Featuring Stone and Turnbull on .rpm and .deb packages
Next Nomikai: (?) July, 19:30 Tengu TokyoEkiMae 03-3275-3691
--------------------------------------------------------------
Sponsor: PHT, makers of TurboLinux http://www.pht.co.jp