Re: Test Alternative initialize scheme

[Emanuel Berg]

Nikolay Kudryavtsev wrote:

> The key problem is providing
> a preconfigured environment.

But how is this any less complicated than
configuring the software yourself? Which is
a basic skill anyone would like to have,
including Spacemacs and other "kit" users?

Why is it better to install a new binary when
this accomplish the equivalence of using the
old binary to load a couple of .el files?

> Often you need one configuration for package
> X to work well with package Y and another for
> X to work well with package Z.
> Distributions provide a sets of package
> configurations designed to work
> well together.

The way you put it I agree but in practice
there are an insane amount of Linux
distribution, many of which are just endless
Debian forks, and forks of forks, and I don't
think they all are intented to solve dependency
issues. Perhaps that was the reason of the few
distribution progenitors but not anymore or in
the majority of cases at least.

Besides instead of putting all this effort into
distros as a way of solving dependencies issues,
if that really is the reason, why not put the
same effort into making the software lay onto
each other in a straightforward way bottom-up?
Instead of providing a new distro so there can
be a new desktop on top of X, why not provide an
option: what desktop, if any, would you like?

It is just distributions for the sake of it
which I don't consider very productive, tho in
principle this diversity is a strength and in
the long run the best model to do anything and
everything, no doubt.

The only distributions I consider very helpful
at the moment are the adaptations of old and
trusted Debian to exotic software. Raspbian for
the R-Pi (perhaps not that exotic anymore),
ev3dev for the Mindstorms - which is real
Debian by the way, tho some people, perhaps
rightfully so, consider Raspbian real Debian
as well.

PS. I'm not making any comments on Spacemacs in
    particular because I didn't use it, except
    my instinct tells me, if it is a separate
    program, it should have a separate
    config dir.

> Your init becomes a distribution(aka kit)
> when you make it generic for general use and
> publish it.

It's a kit alright because I have it on my
home page with a Makefile and all :) I'll even
consider putting it on my resume -
Emanuel Berg, Emacs kit developer :)

-- 
underground experts united
http://user.it.uu.se/~embe8573