[ale] Debian 3.0 as a server platform?

[Geoffrey]

James Sumners wrote:
> When I am setting up a server I want the bare minimum so that I can
> decide what is on the machine. No installer is ever going to be smart
> enough to figure that out.

I agree.

> Notice that I never said it isn't possible to trim down SuSE or Red
> Hat or Mandrake down to something manageable during install. I said
> that by _default_ they install way too much for a single CD
> installation.

And this is wrong.  Reread my post.  I stated that SuSE makes 
suggestions on what to install based on the amount of disk space as well 
as input you have provided.

Again, the user who wants a minimal install is not the average user. 
These distros are targeting a larger group of users.  They start off 
with suggestions which you can easily change through a point and click 
interface.

> I said that the Debian install system doesn't install
> all of that junk unless you specifically tell it to. If you think
> about, that is actually a much easier, less time consuming, way to do
> things.

So I'll tell you what.  Let's sit down together and do installs.  You 
install a minimal Debian and I'll install a minimal Suse and see who 
finishes first.  Certainly you would agree that the Debian install is 
not for the uninitiated.  I could easily sit my daughter down with a 
SuSE install and ask her to install a minimal install. I certainly 
couldn't do that with Debian.  I am comparing the distros not people.

> Now, I would appreciate it if you would not try to insult my
> intelligence by saying that I can't do what a 13 year old can.

Then reread the post.  I was simply saying that the latest installation 
packages are easy enough for a 13 year old.  I made no such comparison 
to you.

-- 
Until later, Geoffrey