RE: GLUG: Clearing up the redhat != linux issue

["Brian Macdougall" <brianmac@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hendrik said...

> The main thing that people should start to remember:
>
> a) Linux is but a kernel. As is SunOS 5.7
>
> b) RedHat/Debian/Slackware/Solaris is what actually make the system do
> the USEFULL stuff. ie. the shells, GUI, libraries etc.

This is really where the rubber hits the road... most stuff in different
Linux distributions is _similar_ enough so that with enough initiative and
some time, a _good_ techie will be able to get most stuff to run equally on
_most_ distys.

The biggest headache will usually still be the glibc vs libc issue relating
to compilation of software (and for awhile yet, until it is either well
entrenched or (HA!) redhat/suse/mandrake/etc... drop glibc).

>
> So When they say: "I'm supporting Debian", it goes with:
>  1) The file layout structure
>  2) The GUI system
>  3) The programs provided
>  4) The libraries provided
>  5) Packaging of software
> On ALL 5 the above points, Slackware/RH/Debian/Solaris differs, thus
> it'll be problematic to support them all. (I'm including Solaris since the
> only UNIQUE differs between it and the rest is the kernel, the rest also
> applies, which actually makes it Solaris, & not just SunOS)
>
>
> I'll go sofar as to say that any helpdesk operator will have a problem
> remembering that RH have a /etc/rc.d/init.d, while debian have a
> /etc/rc.local and Solaris have a /etc/init.d, especially over the
> phone... when the person on the other end say: "Yes, it's on" ,"You
sure??"
> "Yes, it's on the table"

Just try working on a really wacko Linux distribution like Jurix...

>
> Hey: They are all Un*x, you would say, but in the end of the day,
> it's that economies of scale that Craig's talking about, as each one have
a
> different view on the world.

At the end of the day (good politico speak, hey...) it isnt that they are
all IN*X but that they are all NOT M$, and thus probably have a better
chance of realistically being implemented in a production environment.

Can anyone out there in GlugLand remember when M$ replaced its NT webservers
with Sun boxes 'cos NT couldn't handle the load?? Viva Apache, Viva!!