Installing a compiler by default

[Derek Broughton]

Matt Zimmerman wrote:

> I would like to propose that, beginning in Edgy, Ubuntu desktop systems
> (both live and installed) should, by default, include the set of packages
> necessary to compile simple C programs and Linux kernel modules.

I'm an extremely experienced computer user (including Linux since the early
days of Debian) and even I don't need gcc.
> 
> My reasoning is based on the following points:
> 
>  * Linux systems have traditionally shipped with gcc

The worst of reasons.
> 
>  * The most common way to obtain a new driver for a Linux system is
>    to compile it from C source code

_My_ most common way to do anything is to find a binary.
> 
>  * A common reason to install a new driver on a Linux system is to gain
>    access to the Internet, so support can be difficult to obtain in such a
>    scenario

It's not _that_ common.  Especially if you purchase hardware based on known
support in Linux.
> 
>  * A great deal of distribution-agnostic documentation assumes the
>    availability of gcc

True.
> 
>  * Users who are new to Ubuntu have no idea how to install the necessary
>    packages for building a kernel module

Users new to Ubuntu have no idea how to compile a kernel module.  Installing
gcc only gets them marginally closer.

>  * An excessive amount of RAM is needed to install build-essential and
>    linux-headers in the live CD environment, and we only have enough space
>    for them either in preinstalled form (for the live session) OR packaged
>    form (for the installed system), not both

I don't quite understand why gcc makes any difference, there.

-- 
derek