[Ichthux-devel] BibleTime (sword) - Module request

Wed Apr 13 06:50:00 MST 2005

Knoppix has tried to move to the DVD approach already, with version 3.5. 
Then it went back to the CD approach. 

The DVD approach has a lot of positive points :
- it contains much more data (up to 4.3GB with a normal DVD)
- it is faster

But it has also many inconvenients that make it a not-so-good option yet :
- it is more expensive (although not much more)
- the time needed to download a DVD ISO is much longer than for a CD ISO. 
Thus it both requires very fast connections to the internet on the user end, 
and very high bandwidth servers on the developper side. Unless we use mostly 
bittorrent or have a very large bandwidth, we can hardly distribute a DVD 
ISO.
- the KNOPPIX compressed file has to be compiled from a 2GB source 
directory. This process is long (it takes around 1 hour on my 2HGz comp with 
512MB RAM and 1GB swap) and requires a lot of RAM. To compile a knoppix DVD, 
you need at least 5GB RAM (physical + swap). I cannot imagine compiling a 
knoppix DVD on my computer as it is. I would take me an entire day each time 
I ever want to test it. This is why Knoppix DVD are sold as it is now, cause 
people will ask for money for the time they spent compiling the DVD 
(although I do not agree with paying for a knoppix DVD...)
- many people don't have a DVD burner and could not burn the ISO once they 
have downloaded it. One option could then be to produce them ourselves and 
ship them or distribute them. But again it requires much energy that we 
could spend elsewhere for now.
- there are still computers without even a DVD player (esp. in churches, 
schools, and other forms of communities). Although this is not expensive 
hardware anymore, we cannot impose the aquisition of such hardware to our 
users.

A Live DVD approach would be reallly good indeed, but it requires lots of 
energy and proc time, and won't reach all the people we wish to reach. I 
think we can think of such an approach only once the basis are set and 
achieved, and we can spend our energy on other things than building the core 
parts of the distro, and a simple Live CD.

Now about the mini Live CD Nigel proposes, there are also pros and cons. 
Obviously this is much easier to achieve on the proc time point of view, and 
energy too... The problem mostly will come from the fact that the sword 
modules have a very bad compression rate. I couldn't put all of them on a 
single 700MB LiveCD having removed almost all other apps (although I had 
added many languages support). A mini-CD contains around 190 MB datas. Maybe 
we could put an english-only system with a few bibles on this... Is it 
really worth it?

There is one more approach, that mixes both : the mini-DVD approach. 
Although mini-DVD are not easy to find in malls, they can be bought on the 
internet. They have both the advantages of being small to carry like 
mini-CDs, and more data than a normal CD does. There is still the DVD burner 
and reader issue though, but the ISO is not as big as of a whole DVD...

Raphaël

On 4/12/05, Art Bolstad <art at tolonaro.com> wrote:
> 
> K kind of like the DVD approach suggested, somewhat tongue in cheek,
> ealier. There is a real need to distribute as much literature as possible.
> 
> The market is definitely moving towards DVD writers as the default for
> computers. Yes, there are people who have only CD players now, but they
> will rapidly become fewer.
> 
> Always such projects must walk the line between doing to little to make
> possible the widest usage and doing so little for that reason that the
> original purpose is lost.
> 
> art bolstad
> 
> cbaleansub at porchlight.ca wrote:
> 
> >Hi Raphaël,
> >
> >Thank you very much. This will do (unless of course there is some spare
> >room in future releases :)). I didn't know you can install and use
> >additional module with a live cd and have never tried the "Save Knoppix
> >configuration" option before.
> >
> >Once again, thanks,
> >
> >Cristian
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >>Hi Cristian,
> >>
> >>There are many talks about ichthux lately, as we plan to make it a 
> custom
> >>debian distribution.
> >>
> >>I have tried lately to make a special edition of ichthux-live that would
> >>include all the sword modules and many KDE localizations, but the sword
> >>modules take a lot of space.
> >>I have thus chosen to include in ichthux only modules in the languages
> >>supported by the KDE localization of the live CD (and not even all the
> >>modules), with the addition of the original texts (old hebrew and old
> >>greek).
> >>
> >>Anyway, you can still use these modules by installing them while running
> >>the
> >>ichthux live CD. In BibleTime :
> >>- go to the "Configuration" ~ "Sword configuration" menu
> >>- click on the "Install/Update modules" tab
> >>- click "Connect to source"
> >>- select the modules you wish to add
> >>
> >>The modules will be added to the ~/.sword dir (whereas the modules
> >>preinstalled in ichthux are installed in /usr/share/sword).
> >>This means you will have to reinstall them at next boot, unless you save
> >>your configuration. You can do so by using the knoppix menu (with the
> >>penguin, immediate right to the KDE menu) in the bottom bar and choosing
> >>Configure ~ Save knoppix configuration.
> >>
> >>Thanks for reporting and God bless
> >>
> >>Raphaël
> >>
> >>
> >>On Apr 12, 2005 4:13 PM, cbaleansub at porchlight.ca
> >><cbaleansub at porchlight.ca>
> >>wrote:
> >>
> >>
> >>>Hello,
> >>>
> >>>I am new to the list and I am not sure if this is the right place to
> >>>make
> >>>this request.
> >>>
> >>>I have been using IchtuX for a couple of days now and I would like to
> >>>ask
> >>>if it would be possible to include the RomCor (Romanian Cornilescu
> >>>Version)Sword (BibleTime) add-in module on the next release.
> >>>
> >>>Thanks in advance and God Bless you all for your work with this 
> project.
> >>>
> >>>With respect,
> >>>
> >>>Cristian Balean
> >>>_______________________________________________
> >>>Ichthux-devel mailing list
> >>>Ichthux-devel at crosswire.org
> >>>http://www.crosswire.org/mailman/listinfo/ichthux-devel
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>
> >>_______________________________________________
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> >>Ichthux-devel at crosswire.org
> >>http://www.crosswire.org/mailman/listinfo/ichthux-devel
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >
> >_______________________________________________
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> >Ichthux-devel at crosswire.org
> >http://www.crosswire.org/mailman/listinfo/ichthux-devel
> >
> >
> >
> 
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