User Feedback :: DSL Opportunity?
Those Dogs!!! I know I play around with Linux and dsl just for fun, but that just pissed me off. I'd much rather see dsl in there than puppy (not that there's anything wrong with them).
Doesn't look like any decisions have been made. If they want to get these laptops out anytime soon they are better to work with a smaller project than to wait for some corporate brass to go through 10 levels of approvals to contribute to the laptop project. I think DSL is a better fit than Puppy but everyone has their opinions 
Chris
You're right, no decision has been made because Negreponte obviously only wants the big names on board, AMD/Red Hat etc.
It says that Red Hat has 7-9 people working full time on OLPC, but that's only because they need to massage and squeeze RH Linux to fit the laptop. DSL wouldn't need to have that many people working on it because it works out of the box.
I gather Gates keeps asking for a hard disk in the OLPC laptop and I assume that's because Windows needs a harddisk to run off, it won't run from Flash (and Windows CE isn't really suited for a laptop).
Just my opinion, but if Negreponte REALLY wanted to provide the best he could, then he wouldn't be talking to McGates in the first place. Although this project (and a few others) are trying legitimately to provide something that could prove very positive, it seems to be turning into more of a publicity campaign than anything else. I think it is great that large corporations want to get involved and it is even better that Linux may be in the mix, however, it seems to be headed down the same path as so many other well intentioned programs to help those they believe are in need. It starts as a really swell idea, but then becomes more of a "look what I am doing for these people" type of thing.
Of course, I have all the answers. (NOT!) If big boys want to be involved then let them subsidize the cost of the gear and produce something a little more powerfull and still put DSL or a custom DSL on the thing. If people really want to help others, then they would make a sacrifice and eat some of the cost and not be in it just so they can tell the public, "See what we are doing!" But as long as that IS what they are doing, they should belly up to the bar and pay the tab.
For Green:
Sorry if I offended you with my last comment... Over time the news becomes harder to believe with so many inserted opinions.
More on this thread:
I think that maybe why Negroponte is holding out for the big dogs is because of support... Not that the folks they\'re trying to help can afford Redhat\'s, Novell\'s support fees... Or even a fully sloshed MS OS... It\'s just because of all the FUD over indemnification that holds many back from jumping right in.
Also, I agree with Green that this seems to be becoming a \'look what I did\' campaign... It could even be that Negroponte is using free Linux distros to force commercial vendors to knock down their prices.
DSL may also be overlooked because there\'s no single clear spot to grab help info... The dillo startup page helps with many issues, but doesn\'t cover every possible issue... Maybe there could be an add on similar to netman that allows users to quickly get help info... In conjunction with a blogspot (linked to from the top of the forum board) that users can access the same info if they\'re having trouble setting up network connectivity with DSL... Another idea would be for a help manual (paperback) that gets shipped with CDs or USB keys for users to reference...
The ideas are almost limitless, and I\'m sure that many of us here would like to help John and Roberts put something like this together.
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