[ale] The future of the operating system

[Steve Litt]

On Thu, 27 Dec 2018 04:47:03 -0500
Leam Hall via Ale <ale at ale.org> wrote:

> On 12/20/18 6:33 PM, Steve Litt wrote:
> > On Thu, 20 Dec 2018 11:00:58 -0500
> > Leam Hall via Ale <ale at ale.org> wrote:
> > 
> >   
> >> In practice, absent systemd, I think a Linux based trimmed down
> >> configuration could provide much of the same benefits as
> >> Open/NetBSD. Maybe not to 100% but close. Something like "Linux
> >> From Scratch" specifically configured for performant and secure
> >> networking.  
> > 
> > Try Void Linux
> > 
> > https://voidlinux.org/
> > 
> > Download and install the core, and from there add one by one only
> > what you need. No systemd. Uses runit to initialize the computer.
> > 
> > It's rolling release, but you don't get stuck in the update blind
> > alleys frequent in Arch. Meanwhile, you get modern software.  
> 
> 
> Still playing with it some, my main learning right now is Perl for
> work. I need to figure out Void's dependency management; installing
> XFCE didn't require xdm, which didn't seem to require X.

Yes! That's part of the plan.

Void doesn't assume you'll run your WM/DE (Window Manager/Desktop
Environment) from a display manager like xdm, kdm,  gdm, etc. And
you're right: A lot of the stuff requiring X doesn't install X: LXDE
and Xfce are two examples: I think graphical Vim is another, and as
you point out xdm is another. So if you're going to need X for anything,
just install xorg very early in the game.

What I like about Void's installation philosophy is that I get a
basic bootable computer in only a few minutes. From there, I go ahead
and install the usual suspects, like (for me) xorg, Openbox, graphical
Vim, Inkscape, Gnumeric, LyX, Bluefish, Gimp, and (urk) LibreOffice.

My least favorite time is the time when you're installing and don't
know whether you'll end up with a bootable computer. Void minimizes
that time.

SteveT

Steve Litt 
December 2018 featured book: Rapid Learning for the 21st Century
http://www.troubleshooters.com/rl21