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