[KLUG Members] Re: REDHAT: My suggestion on organizing binary CDs for x86 chip-specific optimizations

[Bruce Smith]

> >>>I think it'd be a good idea for a startup (like how Mandrake started),
> >>>offering CPU optimized Redhat distributions.  I've thought about it...
> >>I think it would serve RedHat well to do it itself.
> 
> Redhat has to make money *someday*.  I can't see how maintaining more CDs 
> would accomplish that.  And the problem with doing something like this as 
> a LUG project is that slinging around ISOs takes bandwidth, bandwidth, 
> bandwidth.....

You're correct.  I honestly believe that Redhat doesn't care about the
money from CD sales of their base distribution.  Why else would they put
ISO images of new releases on their ftp site days before you can order
the product?  They have to be focusing on income from support and
enterprise products.

> >Agree, but if Redhat doesn't, there is an opportunity there IMO. > 
> >>> If nobody is going to buy these optimized CD's from KLUG, it's not worth
> >>> the hassle.  That's the bottom line for me.  Nobody is buying my SGI CD,
> >>> so it won't be offered for 7.3/8.0 and beyond.
> 
> That's ok,  I'll provide the SGI CD if anyone asks really nicely.  

Making an SGI install CD is tricky since the index has to exactly match
the versions of all RPMs on all other CDs.  The SGI is even trickier
than a stock BSware because you have to supply a install order for all
RPMs when building the index and omit duplicate RPM's (like kernels).

OTOH, the install CD for a stock Redhat distro (non-BSware) is easy,
just download and burn!  :-)

> Hopefully RedHat will support XFS someday.  They sell an "enterprise" 
> version that doesn't support ACLs..... go figure.

That would be nice.

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Bruce Smith                bruce@armintl.com
System Administrator / Network Administrator
Armstrong International, Inc.
Three Rivers, Michigan  49093  USA
http://www.armstrong-intl.com/
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