[lubuntu-users] cups not built-in ?

[scrooyahoo at riseup.net]

On 2016-08-12 09:33, Narcis Garcia wrote:
> The lightest variant of Ubuntu, Lubuntu, should fit on a traditional
> CD-ROM and should be installable without internet access. This is the
> typical scenario (small computer, small internet) where someone chooses
> Lubuntu.

What is the main reason?  Is has the kernel become that big?
Yesterday i came across XubuntuBSD... Don't know if that kernel is any 
smaller, nor how much work it involves to make it work....


> I believe all basic variants of Lubuntu should fit on a 700MB CD-ROM:
> i386-desktop*
> powerpc-desktop*
> i386-alternate
> powerpc-alternate

That indeed would be nice


> - Why Mozilla software is kept instead of CUPS?? What about Midori
> browser or others? Firefox is 45MiB compressed, Midori 11MiB, full CUPS
> 10MiB.
> - If someone needs Sylpheed, has internet access, then can install it,
> after; same with Pidgin and Transmission.

etc.

Indeed, but why not just stick to the basics? The OS + tools.
And leave additional software choices up to the end-user.

I for instance like to run Lubuntu on more powerful hardware and don't 
mind to use a bit more space.
Though i also Install it on older hardware. nut still find myself 
replacing Abi and gnumeric with LibreOffice
And i'm happy that the games are no-longer included by default.

I think it would be cool to have a basic OS and and eventual 
'personalised' add-on pack that can be installed offline from a 2nd CD 
or USB.

This way end users can use a basic Ubuntu install (in a desktop flavour 
they like best, and then add a personal selection of software to that. 
Instead of having to uninstall stuff they never use or having that stuff 
taking up space without ever using it.


> - About gnome-icon-theme (9MiB), I believe that it should be split in
> gnome-icon-theme-minimal and gnome-icon-theme-full; then select only 
> the
> minimal for ISO media.

If that's possible, that sounds good, i wonder though how much work it 
is to go that route. Are there enough people with the skills and time to 
make this happen?


> (*) Live sessions are essential to check if the OS works, before
> installing over a previous OS in the computer.

Yes, very essential.


I think CUPS should be there by default.

New users would probably find software center very usefull. Though i 
personally would vote for Synaptic if there has to be a default.


In the past the choice to add application made sense since there was 
space to do so. But now space had become critical this could be a good 
moment to figure out a clever way to stretch the goal to keep it under 
700MB.

I would not mind to see a Lubuntu-Minimal.iso (and also for the other 
flavours) as lean and clean as possible, but with all the essential 
tools.  Terminal, Text editor, partition tool, tool to safely flash an 
ISO (MKUSB?)


But what is the main mission? Keeping old hardware alive, fast and 
light, both, or even more then that?
And how does that mission fit best in the world as it is today.
OpenSuse has somekind of online pre-configuration tool to assemble a 
ISO. Interesting approach, though i doubt people will be able to fit in 
any of that in 700mb on their own, specially new users...

To me it would make most sense to first look at usability and make it 
first of all as simple as possible.  Unity and GNOME failed a bit in 
that department...  Way to many "WFT!?" episodes per minute...  So 
Lubuntu has a lot going for it . :-)  But for people who enjoy visual 
bling and don't mind to do backwards stuff i suppose this is all good?  
I'm sure they will iron out all that stuff, but it's not the best way to 
introduce yourself to new users.

But hey... OK it's still a 1000 times better then getting used to the 
animated tiles of Windows. And still people like to waste their time 
staring at tiles, searching for the right tile to click without getting 
distracted by all the other tiles.  Cute designer stuff, but a nightmare 
form a usability perspective.  It's just silly when you see people stare 
at tiles for minutes just to figure out how to open a note-pad.

And no, there is no need to re-invent the wheel. Round is still the most 
simple solution to roll.