Elive, Samuel 'Thanatermesis' F. Baggen interview

15. 4. 2009 | Luboš Doležel, Robert Krátký | Rozhovory | 6203×

1. Why did you start to use Linux? Did you use other operating systems before choosing Linux?

I started using Linux because I got very interested after a friend told me about it. The first time I used only the console (no graphical system) because I didn't like the existing window managers. Two years after that, I discovered a window manager that I found interesting and is there where I started to use the graphical system.

2. What made you consider starting/joining the development of an 'alternative' distribution?

About this time, knoppix appeared, and a lot of live-cd's that are modified versions of knoppix too... but all of them using KDE and a few ones using Gnome, no one using Enlightenment, so I decided to hack a knoppix and replace KDE with Enlightenment for personal use. After some time I decided to make a free version for the public of it, and thus started the development of Elive. It started as a simple Livecd and turned into a complete distro that the user could install.

3. What did the 'big' distributions lack (or had too much of)?

The distros in general have a lack in speed, I mean the lightness of the system... most of them need at least 1/2 GB of ram to work "just OK" and a good amount of CPU. Elive aims to be compatiable with old computers, fast and light.

4. What do you say to those who think the Linux world should be more united and focus on co-operation rather then resolve problems by forking projects?

Actually there's good co-operation in GNU/Linux, they use standards and have a good communication. The only problem remains on the hardware manufacturers, they don't help out much to make Linux drivers. There are also a few cases where buy a piece of hardware that says "linux supported", but in reality it only contains a binary driver for a specific distribution on a specific version... totally unusable for most users.

5. Is Elive your primary operating system? How many other distros have you used so far? Which ones?

I have tried a good amount of distributions before I found Debian. After that, I started developing Elive, based on Debian, and actually I only use Elive for everything I do

6. What is Elive's killer feature(s)?

Elive doesnt' have a one "killer feature", instead it has a lot of elements that makes Elive unique, some better and more big than others. But if you ask the users the answer could be "Elpanel", the Control Panel of Elive

7. What do you plan to implement/improve? What can we look forward to in Elive's next release?

Without exaggerating, my TODO list is more than 3000 lines long, I can't say exactly what the next release will include. In every develoment release there are new improvements, ideas, or things to add/change. Sometimes I add features to the next version, and sometimes I need to wait a bit... for a specific test cycle to end, before I add the next feature.

8. What do you consider the largest obstacle for mass deployment of Linux on the desktop?

Hmmm... obstacle... You know, I believe that Linux is steady moving forward, with more people using it every day, and many governments are announcing their migration to Linux also. The more people hear and learn about it, the less scared they become. Yes, without a big marketing machine it will take a while, but the direction is: forward!

Thanatermesis

       

Komentáře

[Marex]

A ted si to srovnejte s Greeniakem ... co do vystupovani i do kvality prace ... usmevne, ze?

[medved]

+1 :)

[Martin Beránek]

v článku je překlep "noí lidé" => "noví lidé"

[Robert Krátký]

Dík, opraveno.

[Jiří Svoboda]

a "Jediný zbývající prolém..."

[=^..^= AmigaPower®]

Zprvu jsem používalů pouze konzoli

[Fluttershy, yay!]

Možná hlásit přes Jabber... funguje to a není toho plná diskuse.

[Thunder.m]

Elive bylo kdysi (ještě v dobách, kdy neexistovalo Ubuntu) první distro, které mě přivedlo na přechod k Linuxu, dnes už preferuji Debian, ale i tak si Elive za tohle vážím.

[Nicky726]

Jsem jediný komu přijde "a další administrace oznamují migraci." divné? Co takhle vládní instituce?

[Robert Krátký]

Vládní instituce jsou podmnožinou administrací, ne?

[Ladicek]

Mám pocit, že když už se to slovo v češtině používá, tak se říká administrativa. Ale jistý si nejsem, snad jen tím, že se mi moc nelíbí ani jedno

[Nicky726]

Ano taky bych to viděl takhle.

[Robert Krátký]

Máte pravdu.

[Nicky726]

Slovo "administrace" chápu jako vyjádření činnosti administrování (spravování) něčeho. Ne jako nějakou organizaci...