[Mageia-discuss] Attention, please

[Michael Scherer]

Le mercredi 23 février 2011 à 14:35 +0000, André Machado a écrit :
> We all know that, nowadays, Ubuntu is the distribution most widely used and
> known worldwide. Many users are afraid to try other distros because they are
> accustomed to Ubuntu and many remasters are Ubuntu or Debian based.
> 
> We also know that RPM-based distros are not anything DEB-based distros and often
> are more stable and faster. URPMI is incomparably superior to apt-get.
> 
> The four major community-driven RPM-based distros nowadays are: Mageia,
> OpenSuse, Fedora and PCLinuxOS.
> 
> All these distros can work together to promote the use of RPM distros and help
> in their own developments.

It is already the case. For example, during Libre Software Meeting in
Bordeaux, we ( AUFML, french user group of Mandriva ) shared a booth and
helped each others on logistic issues with Fedora-fr and Opensuse. 
Ie we managed to keep the booth when others were eating, going to
conferences, we shared boxes and so on.

And that's not limited to rpm distribution, I see the same kind of help
from Debian, Ubuntu, etc.

> Even though the development team mageia is busy with the roadmap of development,
> I would propose the creation of...
> 
>           T H E [ R E D ] A L L I A N C E
> 
> ... which would be a global network where developers and users of these
> distributions could exchange knowledge and information and share resources to
> assist in developing mutual their distros.

We already do that.
We do share patches with others distributions ( they all are on the web,
and packagers often check them ), we push our fix upstream so everybody
benefit from this, and all specs files are published. And there is open
bugtracker, open code. 

Sure, we can improve, and for example, there is work going on like
Sophie indexing spec file, work like systemd to push initscripts
upstream, work on freedesktop for menus files, etc. 

There is mailing lists for discussion on freedesktop.org, and packagers
often know others packagers, and participate to conferences, etc. For
example, colin went to opensuse conference, I went to fudcon in zurich,
etc ( and almost went to UDS in Bruxelles ).

> Today we know that a RPM developed for OpenSuse may not work properly in Fedora.
> With the Red Alliance, we could create a common development basis, through which
> could enhance the compatibility and interoperability of programs developed for
> these distros with the establishment of common guidelines and further increase
> market share and convince users that they will feel at home.
>
> The goal is not to merge all the distros, but work together. The idea should be
> further developed, but this seems an appropriate way.

Well, more precisely, what do you have in mind ?

-- 
Michael Scherer