Basic tenets of what goes in the image (was: [Squeakfoundation]Flow integration)

[goran.hultgren@bluefish.se]

Tim Rowledge <tim@sumeru.stanford.edu> wrote:
> 
> > * It has to be understandable. Add class comments, reduce class
> > count/size, reduce functionality to the minimum that really needs to be
> > in the image. Just keep it simple.
> I agree with this, certainly. For example, Flow should not go in the
> image - because _no_ network stuff should be in the image ab initio.
> Yes, I know we need some network stuff to allow practical use of SM etc,
> but _the base image_ should have none of this.

Exactly.

> There is, however, a very good argument for building and providing a
> 'typical' image with all the usual development tools preinstalled and
> probably for a newbie/demo image with lots of pleasing tchotchkes and
> explicatory stuff.

Yes. And we can do this already (to some extent) by simply registering a
"load script" package on SM that builds such a "distro" image by
installing packages using SM.

And we can actually also start considering premade images as "packages"
- I haven't fully thought it through, but it would enable some good
things. Like to be able to depend on specific kernel images. And of
course a nice place to download images from!

regards, Göran