Re: The LDS Linux Project
Posted: Mon Oct 08, 2018 9:47 am
Let's take a step back here and examine our priorities.
Here's what it sounds like we want:
• An operating system for desktop computers.
• An operating system that the Church can do whatever it wants with, forever, without having to pay for it every few years per computer.
• An operating system that has a bunch of specific applications on it.
• An operating system that is convenient to use for our purposes.
• An operating system that people with slow Internet connections can use conveniently.
• Self-reliance and independence.
So, are you really sure it's an operating system that will best fit those needs in and of itself? Of course, you need one, but I'm thinking thousands of free ones already exist, and many with similar goals. Why make another one? You could do these things instead (and it would be much easier):
• Select one or more (no need to pick just one) good, stable, very-usable, well-supported Linux distributions. I recommend Xubuntu, personally (but your views may differ).
• Make an install script that will automatically install all the apps you want (provided you know what they are, this should only take a few minutes, although you'll have to update the script with distribution updates). The programs are already maintained by the distro's community, and/or the developers. Of course, in the long run you might want to maintain them yourself, but in the short-term, that's a lot of work.
• Instead of worrying about the size of the OS, why not just ship out DVDs with all the software to individuals who request them? It would be a lot less time and effort, and require little expertise by comparison. If you disagree with that, I have my doubts that you realize how much work is involved in making an operating system.
• Most Linux distributions already give the Church (and everyone else) license to do pretty much whatever they want with them. Maintaining the software for the package manager might be your only real software concern as far as self-reliance and independence goes. Of course, there are hardware concerns, but that's not the topic I wish to introduce right now.
Really, when you take the OS size out of the equation, I don't see any short-term need for another Linux distribution. Long-term, yes, I think that would be great (and I think it'll happen, whether or not anyone else thinks so), but in the short-term, all you really need to do is to set up a custom installation of one or more Linux distributions, make an install script, get some DVDs, get stamps/envelopes, and donate a few dollars for postage here and there (or else have the person ordering them pay postage). One person could do that (granted, more might be better, especially if lots of people ordered DVDs), but they wouldn't need to be super awesome programmers or anything.
In the long-term, there are other things we can do (and other hurdles to worry about), but what I just outlined is pretty easy and simple, short-term, and could be done right away without even owning a server. Any number of people could do the same thing.
Here's what it sounds like we want:
• An operating system for desktop computers.
• An operating system that the Church can do whatever it wants with, forever, without having to pay for it every few years per computer.
• An operating system that has a bunch of specific applications on it.
• An operating system that is convenient to use for our purposes.
• An operating system that people with slow Internet connections can use conveniently.
• Self-reliance and independence.
So, are you really sure it's an operating system that will best fit those needs in and of itself? Of course, you need one, but I'm thinking thousands of free ones already exist, and many with similar goals. Why make another one? You could do these things instead (and it would be much easier):
• Select one or more (no need to pick just one) good, stable, very-usable, well-supported Linux distributions. I recommend Xubuntu, personally (but your views may differ).
• Make an install script that will automatically install all the apps you want (provided you know what they are, this should only take a few minutes, although you'll have to update the script with distribution updates). The programs are already maintained by the distro's community, and/or the developers. Of course, in the long run you might want to maintain them yourself, but in the short-term, that's a lot of work.
• Instead of worrying about the size of the OS, why not just ship out DVDs with all the software to individuals who request them? It would be a lot less time and effort, and require little expertise by comparison. If you disagree with that, I have my doubts that you realize how much work is involved in making an operating system.
• Most Linux distributions already give the Church (and everyone else) license to do pretty much whatever they want with them. Maintaining the software for the package manager might be your only real software concern as far as self-reliance and independence goes. Of course, there are hardware concerns, but that's not the topic I wish to introduce right now.
Really, when you take the OS size out of the equation, I don't see any short-term need for another Linux distribution. Long-term, yes, I think that would be great (and I think it'll happen, whether or not anyone else thinks so), but in the short-term, all you really need to do is to set up a custom installation of one or more Linux distributions, make an install script, get some DVDs, get stamps/envelopes, and donate a few dollars for postage here and there (or else have the person ordering them pay postage). One person could do that (granted, more might be better, especially if lots of people ordered DVDs), but they wouldn't need to be super awesome programmers or anything.
In the long-term, there are other things we can do (and other hurdles to worry about), but what I just outlined is pretty easy and simple, short-term, and could be done right away without even owning a server. Any number of people could do the same thing.