Text 6366, 118 rader
Skriven 2006-06-20 17:54:28 av Ed Hulett (1:123/789.0)
   Kommentar till text 6365 av Maurice Kinal (1:140/13.1)
Ärende: installing Linux with eCS
=================================
On Tue, 20 Jun 2006 19:18:46 +0000
"Maurice Kinal -> Ed Hulett" <1:140/13.1> wrote:

 MK> Hey Ed!

 MK> Jun 20 14:52 06, Ed Hulett wrote to Maurice Kinal:

 EH>> That is a dishonest answer. Most distros don't require you to
 EH>> compile the kernel out of the box.

 MK> But they are only "Linux" if they provide a Linux kernel.  What does
 MK> any distibution have to do with the actual Linux name or claim to be
 MK> a Linux based OS?  Throwing different distributions at the question
 MK> would be a dishonest answer.  My answer was the MOST honest answer.
 MK> No?

No, it was not the most honest.

They *DO* have the Linux kernel! Just because the kernel is
pre-compiled doesn't make it any less Linux.

What makes you think it is only Linux if you have to compile the kernel?

 EH>> Telling someone who is asking how Linux
 EH>> works that they have to compile the kernel serves no purpose
 EH>> other than
 EH>> to discourage them from trying Linux.

 MK> That would be up to the individual distributions to convince the user
 MK> that they are exactly what someone really wants in the way of an 'out
 MK> of the box' Linux distribution.  My answer was valid for the question
 MK> and perhaps given the questioner's needs he'd probably be best off
 MK> with what he already has.

Good grief! With Ubuntu, you have several kernels to choose from. By
default the basic kernel is installed during the initial install. You
can then choose one of several pre-compiled kernels that best fit your
system. For instance, with the x86 install, the i386 kernel is
installed by default Once you are up and running, you can choose from
several other kernels. On this system (dual P-III 1.0MHz) I installed
the i686 SMP kernel for multiple Intel processors. There are several
others I will not list here.

 EH>> Come on, most people won't be compiling their own kernel from
 EH>> the source code.

 MK> Always have, always will.  That is the proper way.

Good grief! Just because that's the way it has been done in the past
doesn't make it "the proper way."

 MK> Doesn't matter
 MK> what 'most' think as 'most' don't run or care to run a hands on OS
 MK> which Linux is no matter what distibutions claim.

You are way behind the times.

 EH>> Your desire to do things yourself does not dictate that other
 EH>> follow suit.

 MK> Correct.  I have no problem with that.  However I gave the MOST
 MK> honest answer as to what Linux REALLY is.

No you didn't. Linux has come a long way since the days you had to
compile your own kernel.

 EH>> If you want to actually help someone please don't tell them
 EH>> they have to compile the kernel.

 MK> Why not?

Because that isn't the way it's done any longer. Linux is a mainstream
OS now.

 EH>> The distro Alan is speaking of is Ubuntu. There is NO compiling
 EH>> needed to install Ubuntu.

 MK> Then he should be happy with it ... if it works that is.

It does work! I'm running it right now.

 EH>> That is not the answer Alan is looking for. Why do you insist
 EH>> that others take the same road you do?

 MK> I don't.  I expect he'll bail out once he realizes the truth.

Total bull. You didn't tell him the truth as it pertains to the current
state of Linux.

 EH>> Your advice is counter productive.

 MK> Says who?

Says anyone familiar with the reality of Linux today.

I've been using Linux off and on since 1995 and back in the day to get
Linux to run correctly on a system you did have to recompile your
kernel once you had it installed. That is no longer the "proper way"
since many Linux distros work fine out of the box with the basic kernel
for the respective systems it is aimed at. Ubuntu is one of the most
popular distros now and like many others is aimed at bringing more
people into the Linux community.

To tell them that they have to compile their kernel to make it work is
just an elitist attempt to discourage the growth Linux has enjoyed in
recent years.

Ed

-- 
Knowledge is proud that he has learned so much; Wisdom is humble that
he knows no more. -- William Cowper

Registered Linux user #416016
Registered Linux Machine #323569

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