> From: dcalford [mailto:dcalford@...]

Hi,

This is getting off-topic, but last one...

> > Simple answer, don't install packages you don't want.
> >
>
> Yes, but, when you started, did you know what packages you did not need?

No, not at all. Just like you I had MBs of crap installed, hundreds of
scripts, and 10 versions of every app on the system.

> Where would you have preferred to start, a very basic
> installation, and a series
> of task-specific install files, or, 1.5 GB of files where you
> don't know where
> to begin?

I think there are two camps of thought on this one. Install everything,
everything works, spend time evaluating and learning everything then
uninstall what you don't want, or Install nothing and learn by installing
the packages one-by-one.

> Remember, alot of people do not have the time to spend 18 months
> to get up to
> average speed with what is a backend to their real app - the database.

It was 18 months of evenings and weekends, I wish it was 18 months of 'full
time'. I think the point here is if I had not used Linux before, I probably
would not consider using it for IB. I started using and learning Linux with
the goal of having another development platform if/when I needed one. Now I
know and use Linux, it is the obvious platform for IB for 'larger apps', and
as I said in a previous post, there is nothing wrong or bad about running IB
on Windows.

> Try the mandrake install, the smallest install with everything
> removed except
> what that distribution considers the 'basics' hits over 350 MB.

The SuSE minimum is 80MB, but that includes a lot of network stuff and other
tools. You can quickly knock this down to 30-40MB.

> I guess what I am getting to is a mini-distribution for those who
> want a working
> linux IB server without needing to go through months of learning
> curve or having
> security and configuration problems that go against the very
> reason they want
> linux in the first place.

I think this is down to the distributors myself. They are making
installations easier to use, but at the same time they are just including
more and 'bloat', so you do have a fully working system 'out of the box' for
what ever task you want.

This learning curve is more paid back in the long term.

Anyway, noth' said, back to IB :-)

Cheers

Phil Shrimpton
------------------------------
Project JEDI DCOM Team Captain
Project JEDI Library Team
<www.delphi-jedi.org>
Registered Linux User #155621