Oh, it is so nice, from time to time, to peek into the Debian distribution package listings, and identify packages that look useful, or at least interesting, and apt-get them for a test drive. That said, has anyone looked in on the "X Window System Software" category recently? Would it be time to consider splitting this category to better reflect that this area has grown massively compared to the early days of Linux and XFree86, when it was primarily the X servers, a few lean window managers, and a core of xterminals, minimal utilities such as xcalc and xclock, and xvidtune and xdm?
My own suggestion is to return to possibly six categories: 1) X Window System - the X servers themselves, and the handful of more *legacy* window managers that don't include a collection of related customised utility packages, such as twm, ctwm, olvwm and fvwm. 2) Gnome - What is needed to run Gnome or only supports Gnome, as well as the application packages depending on aspects of it. 3) KDE - What is needed to run KDE or only supports KDE, as well as the application packages depending on aspects of it. 4) AfterStep - Due to the large number of applet packages, this can be split out as a separate category. 5) WindowMaker - Due to the large and still growing number of applet packages, this can be split out as a separate category. 6) X Applications - All of the applications that don't require any specific window manager or desktop environment, other than X11, and don't fall into other categories such as Web Software, Mail, Graphics or the like. The last category raises the question of whether or not it might also make sense to question whether or not it might be time to re-organise the entire package categorisation system into three *regions*, and then appropriate sections under each: A) System and Servers - All of the core matters to get the o/s booted and running, as well as networking and daemons, and the sort of things only root should ever touch. B) Text Software - Mail, mailx, nn, rn, trn, vim, nvi, elvis, emacsen - if it runs from a shell interactively for a user, it is here. I would also place the development software, headers and libraries here, and for those using IDEs under X, it would draw these in through the normal dependency system. C) X Window System Based Software - If you need an X Server to run it, it goes here, as well as links to those applications such as emacsen that also have X modes. A year ago, this would have been extremely disruptive and difficult to implement, but now it would involve essentially nominal updates to a field (and maybe the addition of a *region* field) in the debs - the package pool system would be untouched in the process. From a system designer's perspective, this would aid the selection of software based on whether the machine was a server, control system, or workstation/desktop, and potentially aid in the system installation process for new to Debian users, as well as developing tasks that can be user configured in the future - Task-MTA-Exim, for instance, could allow the selection of the preferred virus scanner and spam filter found in "System and Servers/Mail Server". -- Mark L. Kahnt, FLMI/M, ALHC, HIA, AIAA, ACS, MHP ML Kahnt New Markets Consulting Tel: (613) 531-8684 / (613) 539-0935 Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact [EMAIL PROTECTED]
