To derive or not to derive... [Was: MEPIS may be going Ubuntu]

[Jeff Waugh]

<quote who="Stoffers, Robert LAC">

> I would have to wonder about the point of MEPHIS going to Ubuntu, wouldn't
> they be better just joining the Kubuntu project instead?

While it's a hard call, there are plenty of good reasons to derive instead
of 'join', including branding, making changes that wouldn't be accepted in
Ubuntu [1] proper, localisation - and just the satisfaction of making your
own thing, your own way!

Given that MEPIS is also a business, they will probably want to make brand
changes, configuration changes and so on. They also ship some things that we
can't / choose not to, which their users appreciate. Couldn't do a lot of
that "in" Kubuntu, so there's ample reason to derive. Remember - lots of the
stuff that our derivatives do will benefit Ubuntu, and developers of Ubuntu
derivatives can always contribute *directly* into the main repository for
things that are not uniquely their own - such as fixing bugs in a particular
package, contributing new packages, generalising their own changes, etc.

Sure, some things are simple enough that they do not require a derivative,
but the option is always there. Derivatives are also good places to drive
totally new features or big underlying changes - when the work is done, it
can be pulled back into Ubuntu proper at the right point in the release
cycle.

:-)

- Jeff

[1] or Edubuntu, Kubuntu, Xubuntu, etc.

-- 
FISL 7.0: Porto Alegre, Brazil        http://fisl.softwarelivre.org/7.0/www/
 
   "People who paid for bug fixes in the 3c501 driver also bought MacIIfx
                      support contracts..." - Alan Cox