[ros-dev] Software distribution

[Casper Hornstrup]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: ros-dev-bounces at reactos.org [mailto:ros-dev-bounces at reactos.org] On Behalf Of Ge van Geldorp
> Sent: 11. december 2005 13:24
> To: 'ReactOS Development List'
> Subject: [ros-dev] Software distribution
> 
> > From: David Hinz
> >
> > Well, as GvG just uploaded a fixed version of the Mozilla
> > Control to sourceforge I think it should be okay for now, but
> > for releases like 0.3.0 we maybe could include the Mozilla
> > Control on bootcd (put the precompiled Mozilla Control
> > installer GvG just built somewhere in reactos/media or
> > something like that), I don't know who big it is...
> 
> It's about 5MB, so it would add about 1/3 of the current .iso size. The best
> way IMO would be to handle this via the package manager.
> 
> I've been thinking about this for a while now. At the moment, we distribute
> 2 .isos, the BootCD and the LiveCD. I'd like to change these (eventually) to
> a MinBootCD and a FullBootLiveCD. The MinBootCD would basically be the same
> as our current BootCD, just the bare minimum OS and the package manager,
> allowing you to download more stuff. The FullBootLiveCD would be a
> combination of live CD and installable CD, on startup it would ask you to
> select either "Live" or "Install". The "Install" choice would then lead you
> to a fully graphical installer (replacing the blue-screen first stage
> USETUP). This FullBootLiveCD (we'll need to think about a better name...)
> would also include some open source packages, ready to install using the
> package manager.
> 
> Thoughts, anyone? And please skip the "you should definitely include
> such-and-such package on the CD" for now.
> 
> Gé van Geldorp.

+1 to that. I'd like to keep the boot CD simple by not including every open
source application on earth. You get an OS (Core ReactOS), not a Linux like
distribution. It also makes regression testing easier as you need to download
less from http://svn.reactos.org/iso. It also requires less time to build
them. Then there is the FullBootLiveCD which would be more similar to a Linux
distribution with third party applications. There is however, depending on the
number of applications, a lot of work maintaining these packages. I think if
there is no one to maintain a particular application, then it should be dropped
from the distribution. I think it is not fair to the users to receive outdated
software, possibly with known security vulnerabilities.

Casper