Linux dist - which one? or where?
Brad Fuller
brad at sonaural.com
Thu Feb 17 17:36:58 UTC 2005
Bert Freudenberg wrote:
> Am 16.02.2005 um 21:55 schrieb Brad Fuller:
>
>> Where does one dnl the correct Linux distribution?
>>
>> When going to http://www.squeak.org/download/index.html I am
>> presented with two links
>>
>> * The "Master Squeak Unix site" at
>> http://www-sor.inria.fr/~piumarta/squeak/
>> This site lists 3.6 as the stable release and a version of 3.7
>> (3.7b-5 -- I guess that means beta version 5).
>
>
> This is the developer's site where you get the latest and greatest.
> Recently moved to http://squeak.hpl.hp.com/unix/
thanks, maybe the link should be updated on the squeak.org site.
>
>> and
>>
>> * ftp://st.cs.uiuc.edu/Smalltalk/Squeak/3.7/unix-linux/
>> This site contains tars for version 3.7-5989.
>> (BTW: a tar file that looks like a source of version 3.6 is there
>> also. don't know why)
>
> Actually it is Squeak-3.7-5989-i686-pc-linux-gnu-3.6-3.tar.gz which
> means it's an Squeak-3.7-5989 IMAGE bundled with a
> i686-pc-linux-gnu-3.6-3 VM. Bruce makes these bundles, and since
> nobody released a final 3.7 unix VM yet, he bundled it with the latest
> released VM, which happens to be 3.6-3.
>> Shouldn't there be one place to dnl? (mirrors are ok as long as they
>> are identical, these don't appear identical)
>
> The download page (http://www.squeak.org/download/) points to the ftp
> directory.
but, it points to:
http://www-sor.inria.fr/~piumarta/squeak/
not your new one:
http://squeak.hpl.hp.com/unix/
(though it appears to be a mirror)
>> I'm confused.
>> - Is the *nix 3.7 in beta, stable (released), or "?"
>
> It's in beta, since Ian, the maintainer, didn't declare it released.
> However, many people have been using 3.7b5, it's a fine VM.
>
>> - are the 3.7 files identical at these two sites (the filenames
>> aren't)?
>
> Yes.
then shouldn't the filenames be the same?
>> - If 3.7 is the current stable release (it is according to this post
>> at the swiki: http://minnow.cc.gatech.edu/squeak.388), why doesn't
>> the Master Squeak Unix Site have this as a stable release?
>
> That's up to Ian to answer - I guess he just didn't have the time to
> release
Which makes me emphasize my suggestion: no release until all major
platforms can be released.
major: *nix, windows, mac.
I don't suggest having minor platforms follow this rule.
If one of the platform release is behind, it'll put community pressure
on the maintainer to release or to find another maintainer.
>> why not provide the 3 platform-independent files for all platform
>> downloads. That'll make them all consistent. Maybe at the top of the
>> squeak.org site, there is a link to these 3 files (and the sources
>> file couldn't be g zipped).
>> Then, below this selection, provide the platform dependent file for
>> each specific OS?
>>
>> Maybe the current way was decided because the goal was to make it
>> easy for windows/mac users? -- but they are just zip/sit files, not
>> auto-installers. So, I don't see that it's that much convenient.
>>
>> If the reason that there are different links for each platform is
>> because each VM is released at different times, then perhaps change
>> the process: all final versions (stable release) are not completed
>> until all VMs are completed.
>
> Suggestion (and I'm sure this has been discussed before resulting in
> good recommendations):
> Well, the Squeak.org downloads are aimed at developers, so nobody
> bothered doing proper installers.
It is? I thought squeak.org was THE place to dnl for developers AND
users. If not, gosh, it should be. The name of the site is "squeak",
where else will users dnl?
> For the non-technical Squeakland audience, for example, there are
> installers for Mac and Win, the next update even will have RPMs and DEBs.
that's cool.
Bert, thanks for the reply and the pointers!
brad
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