Re: This was posted on Digg.com -- Linux Distribution blog/article

[Jeff Licquia <jeff@licquia.org>]

On Sun, 2005-12-11 at 03:23 -0500, Bryan J. Smith wrote:
> > But I'm not trying to slam on NASA, or on you.  I'm trying to get you
> > off your high horse,
> 
> Ummm, you need to be looking in the mirror at that.
> 
> I am on _no_ high horse.  But apparently you think you must convince me
> that any use of Gentoo should be forbidden -- and that source cannot be
> tested as well as a full-up distro.  Sorry, but will dilligence, I
> _strongly_ disagree.

When have I said that Gentoo should be forbidden?  I've said two things:

 - No one can test a Linux distribution (installation, pile-o-bits,
whatever) nearly as well as the popular distros can.

 - I don't understand what benefit is so great that justifies giving up
the integration testing done by the major distros.

I don't see the first point as at all controversial, and I don't think
you do, either.  At least, I can't imagine being that arrogant.

Given the first point, you can piggyback on that testing by using
unmodified Debian or Red Hat as a starting point for your own custom
projects.  You do this a lot of the time; I get that.  But sometimes you
don't.  I want to know why.

How is that a high horse?

> Tying an explicit BOM to an explicit software build can actually be
> _better_.

How?

> Again, I have accused you of dodging my questions as much as you say
> I've dodged yours.  

Then list for me the questions I've dodged, and I'll answer them for
you.  I haven't been explicitly dodging questions, but I certainly might
have missed some.

> At this point, just respect that we disagree.  

I can't, because I don't know if we do or not.  All I have on that front
is a pronouncement from you that we do.  Sorry, but I don't take well to
arguments from authority.

> Don't
> tell me what I am and am not capable of.
> 
> I've at least had the respect _not_ to tell you what you are and aren't
> capable of.

So he tells me I'm out of my league regarding what he does, and won't
answer my questions on that basis, and calls it respect.

But whatever.  Pretend that I didn't insult your engineering skills,
just for a moment, and treat me like a blithering idiot who runs emerge
on production systems.  *Why* do you use Gentoo?  *What* benefit do you
get from it that makes it better than a well-tested production system?

Heck, if you think this is a FAQ, point me to it.  I don't care.


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