[Ichthux-devel] Ichthux as a CDD (Custom Debian Distribution)

[Ben Armstrong]

Hi,

I've talked to you guys a bit on irc, but for the sake of the
archive-reading audience, I am SynrG (synrg at debian.org) the leader of
the Debian Jr.[0] project.

I see no reason why Ichthux should be a splinter distribution, a
derivative of a derivative (a remastered Knoppix) when it could be
entirely or at least mostly mainstream Debian work like Debian Jr.  So
long as everything you're doing is DFSG[1] free, and every indication
from what I have seen so far is that it is, Ichthux qualifies as a
CDD[2].  Why don't we look at the tools Custom Debian has written so
far and see if we can hack together a CD mastered straight from Debian
with them?  The tools in sid already are a bit behind the development
curve, so you might want to look over the debian-custom[3] mailing
list and figure out what's current.  I think simple-cdd[4] might be a
good place to start.

Being mainstream means less customization work for the Ichthux
developers, and broader support for the Ichthux users.  Instead of
relying solely on Ichthux for filing bugs and discussing problems,
they could confidently draw on the broader Debian user and developer
community for support, not having to be worried about things being
done the "Ichthux way" instead of the "Debian way".  With derivatives,
a typical user problem is handled like this:

bar user: I have a problem with package foo when I use it in your
derivative bar, can you help?

bar developer: Sorry, I would really like to, but foo isn't in bar.  I
have never used it, and really don't have the time.  Why don't you
speak to the foo maintainer?

bar user: OK.  Foo maintainer, can you help?

foo maintainer: Sorry, I would really like to, but I've never used
bar, and I don't have the time to do a bar install.  Have you talked
to the bar developers?

Everyone means well, but the poor bar user falls between the cracks. 
With a CDD it doesn't have to be this way.  The Ichthux user can file
bugs directly on their favourite packages (whether they are
Ichthux-related or not) and the developer won't have to worry about
Ichthux messing with the system in ways that violate Debian policy. 
If the developer has to talk to another developer, it will be within
Debian, not in some other project the developer has never heard of.

Ben
[0] http://www.debian.org/devel/debian-jr
[1] Debian Free Software Guidelines http://www.debian.org/social_contract
[2] Custom Debian Distribution http://wiki.debian.net/index.cgi?CustomDebian
[3] http://lists.debian.org/debian-custom
[4] deb http://debian-np.alioth.debian.org/debian unstable main