Message-ID: <41A0D53B.3080204@arbash-meinel.com>
Date: Sun, 21 Nov 2004 11:49:47 -0600
From: John A Meinel <john@arbash-meinel.com>
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To: Andrew Wilcox <andrew-618963079@andrew.wilcox.name>
Subject: Re: [Gnu-arch-users] Please recommend a simple open source Unix for
	arch
References: <E1CVvjs-0001Tm-00@jasper.andrew.wilcox.name>
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Cc: gnu-arch-users@gnu.org
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Andrew Wilcox wrote:
> I'm looking for a suggestion for a simple, modular, open source Unix
> to run arch on.  With no extra cruft, packages, install scripts, or
> "helpful" user interfaces.
> 
> Few months ago I installed arch for the first time, took a used
> computer and installed a fresh version of Debian to run it on.  Why
> Debian?  No particular reason, it seemed to be a distribution strongly
> in the spirit of open source volunteerism.  Anyway, I found the Debian
> install painful for a programmer such as myself... too many layers of
> "helpful" user interface (I'd rather just edit the config file, thank
> you very much), backports needed, Debian complaining I needed
> something when I didn't or vis. versa... I ended up wasting my time
> debugging the Debian install scripts.
> 
> So I'm looking for a simplier, more old-fashioned Unix variant,
> something where if I want to install something I say "tar xfz foo.tgz;
> ./configure; make".  And if I configure something, I do it directly
> rather than run some helpful script that second-guesses me.
> 
> As I write this, I imagine someone is going to say, "but you can 'tar
> configure make' on Debian too", and that's true.  But why carry around
> that bloat (helpful or not) if I'm not using it?  Frankly, I find
> having extra stuff around makes tracking down problems harder, because
> it multiplies the possibilities of what could have gone wrong.
> 
> I think I remember Tom saying sometime that he liked FreeBSD.  Or was
> it OpenBSD?  Anyway, that's what I'm looking for, a suggestion for a
> simple, modular open source Unix to run arch on.
> 
> Thank you,
> 
> Andrew Wilcox

I'm probably not the greatest person to answer this, as it sounds like 
you are wanting a very stripped down system. I haven't really used the 
any of the BSD systems, so these are my thoughts:

Gentoo uses a ports system similar to the BSD systems. So it *should* be 
pretty easy to build stuff you want from source, since it is designed to 
be a system you can bootstrap from only sources.

Slackware is known as a system for doing your own thing in (a lot of 
customizability, etc.)

Personally, I think Redhat with the 'minimal install' is pretty good 
too. Though I'm pretty sure Tom would never advocate RH. :) I've been 
happy with it as a starting point.

Good luck,
John
=:->

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