“If Linux companies refocused their efforts away from
maintaining multiple base distributions, they could concentrate on
the kind of added value that would crack the Linux market
open.”
“Last week I suggested that all commercial distributions adopt
Debian as the foundation for their Linux distribution and build
added value upon it. Gauging from the responses I received
regarding last week’s column, most of my readers misunderstood my
rationale for choosing Debian as a prime candidate for a Linux
distribution standard. I’ll gladly take the blame for that. I
obviously spent too much energy raving about the Debian approach to
upgrading software and neglected to reconnect the dots on the other
issues I had raised in past columns. (See Resources for a link to
last week’s column.)”
“Despite how I waxed rhapsodic over Debian’s apt-get program
last week, this is not about RPM package format versus Debian
package format, the dpkg program versus the RPM program, the
apt-get program versus the various RPM update programs available,
or about an octopus trapped in a chicken’s body. The issue is about
getting all major commercial Linux distributions to agree to start
with a common, comprehensive, standard Linux distribution and add
value beyond thatfoundation.”