[RULE] Reflections on a Debianized RULE (or RULE'ized Debian?)

[James Miller (office)]

I'm totally the wrong guy for this, but I want to put out some
ideas/reflections on a Debianized RULE as it's been brought up here over
the last day or so (in part by me).  I have almost zilch in terms of
technical skills:  I've done a little compiling, installed many distros
many times, am able to administer my Linux systems so they at least
function, and I take great pleasure in tearing apart computers - and
sometimes even in rebuilding them!  But I'm a real late-comer to
computing: I never used a computer until I was 30 years old - not all that
recently now.  What I do have are: 1) a love of dreaming up new projects;
2) a drive to do "more with less" (which means, in computing, getting the
most out of old hardware); 3) a desire to help those who can't afford
newer hardware to get, or keep using their, old hardware; 4) a desire to
learn by getting involved in new projects; 5) an ability to formulate and
communicate my thoughts effectively; and 6) a pathological hatred of Bill
Gates and his evil empire (just kidding - it's actually more of a morbid
aversion :) ).  To me, that's more postives than negatives, and dictates
that I offer my paltry thoughts on this topic.

My first observation is that Debian probably doesn't need to be RULE'ized
- at least not in the way RULE seems to apply in the case of RH.  Here's
why: I understand that one of the big accomplishments of the main RULE
project is the creation of a low-memory program (scripts?) for installing
current RH versions.  This was actually essential, since the typical RH
install program simply would not function under low memory (< 32MB, as I
recall) conditions.  I think the program that was created to make the
installation work on low memory systems was a real stroke of genius.  But
that part of the RULE project simply doesn't apply to Debian: Debian's
install routine already works fine on low memory systems.  It's pretty
arcane, and doesn't do much of anything in the way of hardware detection.
But I'm pretty sure it will run even on systems with only 8MB RAM.

It seems to me that a sort of unspoken assumption in the attempt to get
up-to-date Linux to run on older hardware is that such a project should
serve the needs and interests of the economically disadvantaged - a real
laudable goal, in my view (and also one with some environmental
advantages, to boot).  Here is where Debian, in its standard form, would
fall short.  I have installed probably at least 50 times differing Linux
distros, and I still find the standard Debian install challenging.
Imagine what sort of time an impoverished, and presumably less
computer-literate, individual is going to have with a standard Debian
install: where economic factors might not have prevented him from entering
the ranks of the technologized (his older machine was donated to him), a
Debian install might succeed.  It seems to me that the Debian project link
that was provided in an earlier post on this topic was aimed at answering
to that shortcoming in Debian: it offerred some automated install routine.
In that respect (if the routine really works as advertised) one of
Debian's major shortcomings RULE-wise is answered: it becomes much easier
to install.  I did note that it only works as a network install, however.
If the impoverished person being served by the Debian distro tweaked for
ease of install can't afford a connection to the internet, he's/she's left
without a working machine, despite the fact that Debian is capable of
installing and running on it and despite the fact that someone has eased
the install routine.

Those are some of the ways in which the RULE project's work does and
doesn't apply to Debian.  Debian doesn't need to have a new, low-memory
installation routine created; it needs to have the existing routine made
easier.  I suppose we cannot neglect the fact that RH's install routine
is more memory intensive *precisely because* of an attempt to ease
installation.  True?  I suppose people involved in the
ease-of-installation aspect of a RULE-ized Debian could view themselves as
in a good position to succeed where RH failed: keep the routine easy, but
do it in a way that doesn't up the memory requirements.

The network install capability of Debian - one of its more appealing
aspects to the financially advantaged (comparatively) and tech-literate -
could actually be a shortcoming in the sort of low-income and
underpowered-hardware situtations I can envision.  Someone who lacks
financial resources is not going to be in a very good position to acquire
internet access.  Using that access presents an additional layer of
complexity in that the cheaper means of access are dial-up, and Winmodems
- likely the most widely available modems - do not work well with Debian -
or any other Linux distro for that matter.

Some ways in which a RULE-ized Debian could benefit from current RULE work
is in the area of programs.  Ideally, programs on a Debian system are
installed via apt-get, and are in a different form (.deb instead of .rpm).
This is all well and good since, if the Debian system has a decent 'net
connection, it's very simple to install and update programs (open a
console, su, issue "apt-get install naim", for example).  As with current
RULE, programs can be installed from CD as well: I know of one cheap CD
site where the entire 7 CD set for Debian Woody can be ordered for under
$20 US - (domestic) shipping included.  But one thing a RULE-ized Debian
could use and which already exists for RH RULE is a listing of programs
that work well on older hardware.  This is the point on which a RULE-ized
Debian and the current RH based RULE are fully on a par, and at which
exchange would be relatively seamless.

I'd better leave off there.  I've said enough to expose both my ignorance
and knowledge of matters related to RULE, and if anything is of worth to
other Debian users sub'd to the list, I hope they'll offer their
thoughts/ideas/ corrections.

Thanks, James


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