User Feedback :: Win ME revisited?!!
I love DSL! It is a super system! However, version 2.2 just puts me off; here's why...
(1): Regression in kernel version: Even though it keeps DSL under 50 MB, the older kernel kills some functionality.
(2): There are some applications that really could go instead of kernel 2.4.31... Beaver, Jwm, Firefox (I love Firefox, but it could be made into a myDSL extension).
(3): Kernel regression, and a few tweaks such as background color pickers, etc. don't justify an upgrade for most folks... remember Windows ME week of shame?
Overall, I think that DSL is awesome. However, it is the removal of functionality that I feel is a large mistake... I do however understand that the higher the kernel version goes, the fatter the OS becomes. Perhaps, we might be able to see some extra myDSL apps, that can replace what gets lost from kernel regression. 
You really scared me with the title of your post as I was one of the many unfortunate people that purchased a computer with Win ME on it... Thankfully now it has Ubuntu Breezy Badger and, of course my Live DSL CD as well as my DSL stick. 
I agree with you regarding the kernel and would have preferred to see Beaver go (vi is quite enough...), jwm is also redundant and not even the big a$$ distros have an alternative windows manager (to the best of my knowledge) At most you can either use Gnome or KDE but for DSL one windows manager sufices and I happen to love fluxbox... Somehow Xpdf is also redundant...
Rgds,
i think DSL is headed in the right direction. john and robert have a firm vision for DSL, and buying into the MS doctrine of percieved obselence is not included. unwarranted kernel upgrades falls directly into the trap the MS victims have suffered from for years. my old machines are productive again for the first time in years, and i for one am thrilled. for those who feel a need to upgrade at every kernel tweak, there are several distros out there just for you.
torp
I agree with torp. DSL is exactly what it is designed to be with the 2.4.26 kernel - a light, fast live CD with a nearly complete desktop that runs older equipment extremely well. The 2.4.31 kernel lost many of the modules that were compiled into the 2.4.26 kernel, while getting larger at the same time, so in a way, it lost functionality on the kernel upgrade. Having said that, I use 2.1b frugal hard drive install on my laptop because the newer madwifi module package that Robert put together works great with my AT&T wireless card. However, for a live CD, DSL-2.2 just works better because everything is already there on bootup. I like choices. I was against JWM at first because it looked too much like Win$. However, it turns out to be more memory efficient than Fluxbox, so it's a better choice on my low memory machines. Mandriva gives you a whole list of desktop choices on it's boot splash screen. Ubuntu gives you either KDE or Gnome, if you have them both installed, I don't know about the others, but it's part of the concept of freedom to have choices.
I think "nightmare" is a bit extreme. As was said, the main purpose of DSL is being more appropriately served by keeping the older kernel. The previous upgrade apparently caused trouble for some older hardware that DSL had been designed to support, so if anything this is a fix for a prior mistake.
Personally I continue to use 2.1b simply because the newer kernel provides me with an abundance of cloop devices, but if my machine was among those older boxes that DSL is primarily meant for i'd be happy for the return to the older kernel.
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