[mdk-re] LWN survey part II

[mdk-re] LWN survey part II

[Michael Shigorin]

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	Здравствуйте. 
Возвращаясь к до сих пор не закрытому мной вопросу...

Прилагаю несколько измененный вариант анкеты; для его отсылки в
LWN мне требуются данные по следующим темам (отмечены "????" в
тексте):

- полный список поддерживаемых языков
- информация о количестве разработчиков (primary/total)
- размер дефолтной инсталляции
- количество обязательных/опциональных пакетов
- время первого анонса
- статистика использования, если доступна
- (?) степень совместимости с FHS/LSB
- формальное описание
- комментарии :)

После формирования общей части я разделю анкету по веткам --
Junior, Master, Castle.

-- 
 ---- WBR, Michael Shigorin <mike@altlinux.ru>
  ------ http://visa.chem.univ.kiev.ua/~mike/

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			LWN DISTRIBUTION SURVEY
			     version 0.32

     The LWN distribution survey is a tool to gather comparable
     information about Linux distributions.  All provided surveys
     will be made publicly available in their entirety.  They
     are dated, so that multiple versions of a survey for a
     specific distribution can exist, providing historical
     information.

______________________________________________________________________________


Survey Date:

	Jan 6 2002

Name of person providing information:

	Michael Shigorin

E-mail address:

	mike@altlinux.ru

Connection with this distribution:
   (note, survey information from distribution creators/developers
    will replace information from other interested parties, wherever
    available.)

	Slightly participating in development

1.   What is the name of your distribution?
	ALT Linux

     What is the website for your distribution?
	http://altlinux.ru (in Russian),
	
2.   What is the derivation of your distribution?

    _ SLS
    
    _ Slackware

    _ Jurix
    
    _ Red Hat

    _ Debian

    _ rolled from scratch

    X other  (Please name: Linux-Mandrake)

2a.   If you answered anything besides "rolled from scratch", do
      you still consider your distribution "tied" to its derivation,
      e.g., you release updates to your distribution based on updates
      from the original distribution?
      
	No

2b.  If you answered "rolled from scratch" or other, 
     do you use a package management system?  

     If yes, which one?
     
	RPM3 in released distributions and now switching to RPM4
	plus APT (Conectiva RPM port)

3.   What languages do you support?  Please list, including English,
     if appropriate.
     
	All that Mandrake 8 supported. Special emphasis
	is made on correct i18n.
-- or --
        English, Russian, Belarussian, Ukrainian as primary concern
	????

4.   Would you classify your distribution as a "mini"-distribution?
     (This is a very flexible term, covering Linux distributions 
     sized for a floppy or smaller, up through CD or disk-based
     Linux distributions that are on the small size.  It is more a
     matter of perception, in terms of whether you define the
     distribution partially by its small size compared to generic
     distributions like Debian, Red Hat, et al.)

     _ yes

     X no

4a.  If you answered yes to the above, please mark any of the
     following that are applicable:

     _ CD-based, e.g., intended to be booted from and run directly
       from a CD without requiring a hard disk.

     _ Disk-based, small, but intended to be run from a hard disk.
       Presumably too large for a floppy.

     _ Floppy-based

       How many floppies for the base distribution?

       How many floppies for supported add-ons?

     _ Flash-disk-based

     _ Other 
     
       Please explain:


5.   Hardware Support.  Please mark all the hardware platforms that
     your distribution supports.

     _ Alpha

     _ ARM

     _ IBM S/390

     X Intel x86/Pentium

     _ IA64

     _ NEC Mobile Gear PDAs

     _ Sparc

     _ Sparc64

     _ PowerPC

     _ PowerPC G4

     _ RS/6000

     _ Microcontrollers

     _ Other, please list:

	
5a.  For what hardware platforms do you provide optimized binaries,
     if any?
     
	i586

6.  Why did you decide to produce a Linux distribution?

	Originally it was Linux-Mandrake Russian Edition by
	IPLabs Linux Team, but not all significant changes found
	their way back to Mandrake and the team went stronger.

	Now there's a line of distributions targeted for different audiences
	ranging from beginners to highly experienced administrators.

7.  What is the target audience for your distribution?

	There are 3 distinct distributions really:
	
	- generic distribution aimed at wide range of applications
		former Linux-Mandrake Russian Edition
		upcoming Master 1.0
		
	- desktop and multimedia for beginners
		Junior-1.0, 1.1
		(with more planned)
		
	- server-oriented RSBAC-based solution
		upcoming Castle
	
	Each and every of them is based on common unstable/current repository
	(Sisyphus).  APT is used to deal with update/upgrade issues.

8.  Would you consider your distribution to be:

    X general purpose, e.g., useful for servers, desktops, and
      requiring tailoring for specific purposes.
	(talking of generic branch)

    X special purpose, e.g., specifically tailored for a single
      functionality or a small group of functionalities.
	(as for Junior and Castle)

8a. If you consider your distribution to be special purpose, 
    below are a list of possible purposes.  Please check all that
    apply and add any that are missing:

    X Appliances, such as:
       X Communications Server
       X Router/Firewall
       X Web Cache

    X DOS/Windows support, via:
       X DOS partition
       X DOS/Windows install, separate boot
       _ Windows Users, accessible from Windows

    _ Diskless Terminal support

    X Education/Schools

    X Ease-of-use, for non-technical users

    _ Embedded Systems

    _ High-end and Cluster computing

    X Non-exportable crytographic support

    _ Older, slower hardware (pre-Pentium, for example)

    X Optimized performance

    _ Reduced memory usage

    X Rescue disk

    X Security

    _ Targeted user market, such as:
      _ ISPs
      _ E-commerce sites
      _ Highly Experienced, Technical users
      _ Physically challenged 
      X other

9.   Who are the primary developers for your distribution?  
     Please provide email addresses.

	Dmitry V. Levin <ldv@alt-linux.org>
	Sergey Vlasov <vsu@altlinux.ru>
	Sergie Pugachev <fd_rag@altlinux.ru>
	Sergey V Turchin <zerg@altlinux.ru>
	Stanislav Ievlev <inger@altlinux.ru>
	Aleksey Smirnov <smi@altlinux.ru>
	Alexander Bokovoy <ab@altlinux.ru>
	Alexey Novodvorsky (AEN) <aen@altlinux.ru>
	Anton Farygin (Rider) <rider@altlinux.ru>
	Konstantin Volckov <goldhead@altlinux.ru>
	Kostya Timoshenko <kt@altlinux.ru>
	Alexey Voinov <vns@altlinux.ru>
	Sergey Bolshakov <sbolshakov@altlinux.ru>
	Mikhail Zabaluev <mhz@alt-linux.org>
	Grigory Milev <week@altlinux.ru>
	Sergei Aranovsky <sa@altlinux.ru>
	S. Budnevitch <svb@altlinux.ru>
	Ivan Zakharyaschev <imz@altlinux.ru>
	Lev Levitin <lev@altlinux.ru>
	Peter Novodvorsky <nidd@altlinux.ru>
	Yury Zotov <yz@altlinux.ru>

[????] Дмитрий Левин: источник -- Ваше письмо в -devel насчет ключей для подписи
пакетов в devel от Jun 19 2001.

9a.  How many developers in total are working on the distribution?

	at least 21.

9b.  How many of these developers are working full-time?
	
	10 (counting people from official ALT Linux Team)

10.  Is there a packaged or commercial version of your distribution
     for sale? if so, please gives the names and URL's of the
     company or companies that provide it.
     
	Yes, every distribution can be ordered on CDs (even unstable snapshots)
	as well as downloaded; Castle and generic distribution (upcoming Master
	1.0) are supposed to get official support for boxed versions.

	It can be ordered at http://bolero.ru Internet shop, as well as
	purchased at a number of local software/hardware stores.

	Russian page on this topic is: http://altlinux.ru/?module=buy-inet .
	
11.  What other Linux distributions do you consider to be
     most similar in design goals and target audience?
     
	Linux-Mandrake, ASP Linux (http://asplinux.ru)

12.  What version of the kernel are you currently shipping?

	Patched 2.4.17.

13.  What C libraries are you supporting:

     _ a.out
     
     _ glibc

     X glibc2

13a.  Which C library is the default for your builds? (Check only one):
      (Note, we have distributions on the list whose primary reason
      for existing is to support older libraries -- this is meant to
      be a check for such a distribution).

     _ a.out (libc4)
     
     _ glibc (libc5)

     X glibc2 (libc6)

14.  How large is your default installation?

	Depends on free disk space and distribution. Minimal
	installation of generic/desktop is ~ 150--200Mb
	
	????

15.  How many packages are provided, including both default and
     optional packages?
     
	Sisyphus-20020106 has 1646 source and 2429 binary packages, plus some
	unsupported ones.

16.  Is there a paid support service available?

	Yes. Boxed Castle will include support in retail price.

17.  If appropriate, in what area, geographically, are the
     developers and/or company located?
     
	The headquarters are situated in Moscow, Russia.

18.  When was your distribution first made available on the
     Internet?
     
	Near to Linux-Mandrake 6.0.

18a. If it is available on CD, when was it first made available on CD? 

	The same time

18c. When was it first publicly announced?

	????

19.  Do you have any documentable statistics on usage that you
     could share?  Such as downloads, commercial box sales, etc.
     
	????

20.  Does this distribution conform to the Linux Standards Base
     as published so far or the File Hierarchy Standard?
     
	Yes

	????

20a.  If your distribution only partially conforms with the
      LSB/FHS, please describe what portions it conforms with
      and in what instances it does not conform (and why, if
      you wish to give that background).

21.  Please provide information on any public mailing lists you
     provide for general user support (including URLs, archive
     sites, instructions, etc.)
     
	Mandrake-russian mailing list
	Mandrake-russian@altlinux.ru
	http://altlinux.ru/mailman/listinfo/mandrake-russian
	http://www.altlinux.ru/pipermail/mandrake-russian

	Castle mailing list
	Castle@altlinux.ru
	http://altlinux.ru/mailman/listinfo/castle
	http://www.altlinux.ru/pipermail/castle

	Sisyphus mailing list
	Sisyphus@altlinux.ru
	http://altlinux.ru/mailman/listinfo/sisyphus
	http://www.altlinux.ru/pipermail/sisyphus
	
     	Lists are conducted in Russian.
	
22.  Please provide information on any public mailing lists that
     follow the development of your distribution (including URLs,
     archive sites, instructions, etc.).
     
	devel@linux.iplabs.ru (in Russian, too)
	http://www.altlinux.ru/pipermail/devel

	????
	
22.  Optional Formal Description:

	ALT Linux distributions are RPM-based snapshots of its main product --
	Sisyphus package repository, its unstable/current branch.

	The development focus is to bring quality products to diverse user
	categories, making starting using Linux easy while helping in making
	addressing complex problems possible.  One of core features of that 
	kind is employing APT-RPM to ease system administration.
	
	????

23.  Optional Comments (to provide information not covered above):

	Distributions can be characterized as well-planned and technological;
	some local oddities (as suppressing daily work under root account)
	regularly cause disgruntled users who are surprised with root not being
	able to receive mail or build packages -- but those same users thank
	authors after being accustomed to those oddities :)

	Also the project tends to be a "magnet" for various other developments, 
	providing means to communicate (and hosting).  As such it reminds a kind
	of RPM-based semi-commercial Debian -- all development is done on open
	basis, causing the community to grow steadily.
	
	????
	
24.  Survey Comments (e.g., questions you think we should have asked
     or suggested improvements for the existing questions):
     
	These days most non-specialized distros have different branches
	or shipments (say RH has plain, Pro, Deluxe, Enterprise) -- how and when
	should these be reported as different distributions or as one with
	variations?
	
	????

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