Four Linux Vendors Agree On An LSB Implemenation 245
An anonymous reader submits a link to this story at Linuxlookup.com which says that "Connectiva, Mandrakesoft, Progeny and Turbolinux today announce the creation of a common implementation of the LSB 2.0 which will serve as the base for future products. The project, called 'Linux Core Consortium' (LCC), is backed by Linux supporters such as Computer Associates, HP, Novell, Red Hat, Sun, OSDL, and the Free Standards Group."
Re:LSB? (Score:5, Insightful)
Well, I do now -- Linux Standard Base. See this link [linuxbase.org]
Linux problem is.... (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:Finally (Score:3, Insightful)
Isn't that why we have an LSB (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:LSB? (Score:1, Insightful)
Causes more than mild confusion for the hardware designers who have to suddenly deal with A0..A29 (or A30, A31 on 32-bit systems, depending on the external bus), and likewise with D0..D31. More than once have they been wired baskwards (or the byte enables, as well). Heck, it's a great way to get software developers confused as well...
(If you really must know, it appears PowerPC is numbered this way).
Networking! (Score:5, Insightful)
-Benjamin Meyer
Huh? (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:LSB? (Score:3, Insightful)
It sure would be nice if readers would stop playing dumb as a brick.
It's "News for Nerds", not "News for N00bs Who Need Their Hands Held".
Re:YAD (Score:3, Insightful)
Compatible? Yes
They'll never be the same, there'll always be a choice, they could be a little less confusing to switch between.
Re:LSB? (Score:4, Insightful)
Re:LSB? (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:Finally (Score:3, Insightful)
Try apt-get install rpm sometime....
Also, you might want to take a look at alien. A Debian box can deal with suitable RPM's. And isn't one of the participating distributions listed in the submission debian-based? (Progeny?)
--Bruce Fields
(null) (Score:3, Insightful)
How the fuck does being able to download and install a program on any linux distro give you less choice?
Linux NEEDS a standard way to install programs. This is a major barrier to getting the average user to use linux.
In windows, you download an installer, double click, a screen pops up, you follow instructions. Linux needs this ease of installation.
There are a lot of great open source apps that have come out for linux that are easily as good or better than closed source software for linux, but if people have no clue how to install and uninstall things they just WON'T use linux.
Linux, right now, can only be manipulated by hardcore geeks. Sure someone who is spoonfed linux can run apps by themselves, but they won't be able to do anything else and will rely on their geek relation to install new things or fix problems.
If users can easily install and uninstall programs from whatever distro, they are free to "play" more with linux. They can test out what programs they like and then use the damn stuff.
If users can't figure out how to install some damn software they will get frustrated, and yell "FUCK OFF, DAMN YOU!!!1!!one" really loud at their monitor and proceed to use windows.
Granted, most people don't want to play with programs. However, the easy of installation will attract a new group of people to linux. It'll attract those how know about computers, like to tinker, but don't code for a living. Those people will, in turn, attract the teeming mass of zombies.
So yeah I guess I could sum it up with:
standard installer = good
standard installer != lack of choices
Anyhow, the "ubersuperior" geeks can have fun flaming me (and my typos, I don't check these posts for typos....).
Re:Isn't that why we have an LSB (Score:3, Insightful)
A de facto standard would be one that was not officially endorsed, but that everyone actually used. AFAICT, the LSB has always been the opposite: a standard that was officially endorsed, but that nobody actually followed.
The LSB standard says that all applications are supposed to be statically linked, except for a very short list of highly standardized, mature, reliable libraries that can be assumed to be available for shared use. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think there's a single significant distro that actually does this.
Now there may be very good reasons why static linking has never been widely accepted on Linux (I think it's because although it would make things more convenient for the end user, it would be less convenient for the applications programmer), but regardless of its merits, the LSB has really just been ignored.
Re:Networking! (Score:3, Insightful)
The pressure to standardize Linux to some meaningful extent will come from
a) Smaller distributions (like Debian
Debian is small?
I don't think that standardization would necessarily hurt RedHat, but provide them a door in. I'm sure there are some marketing people at RH thinking "Once you get your teeth cut on another standardized distro, and you want to move up to a better supported service for a more serious business (or whatever description gets the Pointy Haired Boss interested), why not move over to Red Hat?"
Then all they have to do is provide a service that can distinguish themselves from other vendors, and they're good. (Of course, that's always the hard part).
Thank God (Score:2, Insightful)