ognen at naniteworld
Jan 11, 2008, 12:47 PM
Post #12 of 21
(1581 views)
Permalink
|
Norman Ramsey wrote:
> > There are other good reasons to have a central repository but I
> > don't really buy the ease of use argument for the user. The end
> > user still has to enable the extras repository. It would be just
> > as easy for a user to install a meta package, maybe call it
> > "maemo-universe", which adds every single repository in the
> > universe to the sources list. For example, if it added all the
> > repositories listed at http://www.gronmayer.com/it/, the end-user
> > doesn't need to know the difference that n repositories were added
> > versus one. The meta package could automatically update as new
> > repositories are added/removed.
> >
> > Of course there are issues about trusting repositories, quality,
> > etc. but that isn't an issue really solved with the extras
> > repository unless some Nokia person is actually checking packages
> > submitted to extras (which I doubt). I would trust a
> > maemo-universe package with a repository list created by the
> > community just as much as a random package in extras.
>
> As a long-time Debian user and even longer-time Unix developer, I look
> at the maemo world and see chaos. I'd love to build and port some
> apps but the barrier to entry is just too high. And as a user I see
> only confusion.
>
> The maemo community would benefit greatly if a nucleus of volunteers
> would step forward to implement some of the social apparatus behind
> Debian:
>
> * A body of package maintainers who are trusted to make sure that
> packages are OK.
>
> * GPG keys with which trusted maintainers can *sign* packages.
>
> * A *small* number of repositories with clearly defined missions.
> (As a user, I want to *understand* /etc/apt/sources.list and know
> who is signing the repositories that are in it.)
>
> * A process by which anybody can become a package maintainer.
>
> It's too bad Nokia didn't bootstrap such a process, but they didn't.
> In fact, I think Nokia is making the problem worse by making critical
> applications closed-source. (Or at least if the source to things like
> Email, RSS Reader, and Clock is available, I can't find it.)
> I can understand there is a business case about keeping device drivers
> as closed source, although this is a question about which reasonable
> people can differ. I can't see *any* reason why *any* application
> should be closed-source. This doesn't benefit Nokia, and it inhibits
> the formation of a community because only Nokia can see the major
> applications.
>
> If anyone at Nokia is listening, I think if you move to a model of
> open source apps, open-source kernel, proprietary device drivers,
> which is a model the community understands, in the long run you are
> going to sell a *lot* more tablets!
>
>
Norman,
I was in the process of writing an email along the same lines. I have
been a long-term Linux user and programmer and must say that chaos
abounds in OS200?/maemo land, sadly. I have an N800 and it is a very
cool device, but the documentation, tutorials, howto, "training"
materials - they all seem to rehash the same stuff in various ways, too
many links to follow, too many combinations of OS/software versions that
work or don't work in a particular setup, the number of repositories is
confusing and in general I feel a bit lost. This whole "mess" could be
easily resolved with the suggestions you provided above.
Cheers,
Ognen
_______________________________________________
maemo-users mailing list
maemo-users[at]maemo.org
https://lists.maemo.org/mailman/listinfo/maemo-users
|
signature.asc
