MEPIS Community Forum

Mint has a Debian knock off, but its still Mint. Why can't Fedora/Red Hat be Fedora/Red Hat but based on .deb packaging. Yes you can have variety, with the bame base.
It would make Linux more viable, and maybe more Manufactors would supports a universal software package.

chrispop99 .... didn't know that. Here in the states, no matter what electonic device you by (except ones that require a higher voltage pull) come with the same basic style of plug. Power supplys all have the same design so any power supply plug will work with any PS.

uncle mark .. no i dont think a .rpm is a .deb.. can't install a .rpm on a .deb system without someone repacking, that is if it could be repackaged. Manufactors have to make one MS package, One Mac package, and at least 4 different linux packages. Why do you think less manufacturs just say screw Linux.

Manufacturers do not make the packages. They install a system packaged by the particular community. Linux is not the desktop of choice for them for very different reasons.

rpm's are converted to debs using alien, as Uncle Mark suggested.

Who will be the unifying force in the Open Source community to dictate what packaging system will be used? It will not happen. There is no corporate entity dictating to it, thank heaven.

Mint- read Ubuntu because that is what Mint is built from, read Debian because that is what Ubuntu/Kubuntu is built from,
Where is the variety they are all Debian based systems

Huh? That is what Uncle Mark was trying to say:

You still don't understand.

Mint is built from Ubuntu, which in turn is built from Debian.

With LMDE, Clem built from Debian directly.

Again, any Debian derivative is going to use .deb packaging.

Gentoo does use apt, however, Gentoo is moving to use a package manager called Sulfur to have a central package viewer. Emerge is a command. Gentoo has a package also, so RPM and Deb
drivers can be loaded.
I do not know what the rest of the Ubuntu world uses, Kubuntu uses Muon for a package manager. Mint started as a Ubuntu clone, with the focus on being multimedia ready out of the box.
The big four has been, still is, Slackware, Debian, Red Hat and Gentoo. All four have a package one can use for RPM and Debian drivers, packages for conversion to use. Yes, Debian
is the most used Linuxland base OS, but, not the only one. So to help, see the following:


http://futurist.se/gldt/wp-content/uplo ... dt1012.svg

Its evolution in action. Those formats that prove to be inferior will fade and those that are superior will continue to prosper and contend for dominance. It won't happen overnight and it maybe messy at times but that is life in the software gene pool.

Plus if you really want a package that won't convert using Alien then there's always source code available along with the compiler that your distribution uses.

Many choices. Many ways to the same end. This is one of the big reasons that Linux is so much fun. There's always a way.

Agree;

Here is a good summary even though it is dated, still valid.



http://www.askreamaor.com/linux-and-uni ... e-systems/

zeeone - very interesting timeline...

Now based on what I have read here... every Debian Derivative is the same, no difference, But then why are they all so different? Why are we drawn to MEPIS and not some other if its the same?

Building packages... do people who just want a PC to surf the net and listen to music have any idea what that means. You and I do... but how many others.

I am sorry if you think I am a trying to start something here, but I felt it was a very interesting observation from a young girl who I let borrow my old Gateway Laptop after she lost her HP. It has antiX on it, I spent a little time showing her how to use it, but like a lot of kids.. she grasped it easily. Then came that question.

as far as Marks 'alien man' post... I never heard of alien. Didn't know what it meant. Now I know.

I am not a new user, I am an old user who changed his handle.

alien man