Installing a compiler by default

[Stephan Hermann]

On Wednesday 28 June 2006 20:41, Matt Zimmerman wrote:
> On Fri, Jun 16, 2006 at 01:50:12PM -0500, Christofer C. Bell wrote:
> > Perhaps it does need to be renamed, perhaps it doesn't.  I have it
> > installed on all 3 of my Ubuntu systems.  Regardless, the installation
> > of the compiler is a *documentation* issues, not a *usability issue*.
> > The compiler does not need to be installed by default.  The target
> > audience are folks that want a "useful Linux desktop environment that
> > Just Works(tm)".  This audience is not a developer community and does
> > not need a compiler.
> >
> > The target audience of a compiler is the development community.  These
> > folks should not need hand holding to the same degree as end users.
> > They should be able to find and read system documentation and that
> > documentation should include how to easily install the compiler (and
> > yes, it *is* easy to do).
> >
> > In my opinion, Stephan Hermann <sh at sourcecode.de> has summed up my
> > feelings regarding this issue more clearly than I ever could.
>
> Yes, this argument has been made several times in the past as well, such
> that I addressed it in my original message before any discussion took
> place.
>
> A compiler might be easily considered a developer tool on Windows, where
> drivers arrive as precompiled objects, but in Linux, users who don't know
> how to program a line of C use a C compiler regularly.  There, it's
> infrastructure.

Right, but is it necessary to provide infrastructure tools on a user linux?

I discussed this issue with some people here in our office, who are using 
Ubuntu/Kubuntu as User, but they are in their spare time developers.

The majority of those people said, that they install a compiler if and when 
they want to develop, but as normal user base, they wouldn't bother to 
install or use one.

The result of those discussion was: As long as Ubuntu/Kubuntu/Xubuntu is 
providing support for most of the well used and known hardware, there is no 
need to compile anything.

Developers are different, and ricers are different, too. We should concentrate 
on providing support for commonly used (new) hardware so that users do not 
need to use a compiler. 

I think that should be our first goal as "It Just Works(tm)" Linux 
Distribution.

regards,

\sh
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