Forking (was Ubuntu Under Attack)

['Forum Post]

Eric Dunbar Wrote: 
> This is a great thread in the questions is raises, BUT IT REALLY

> BELONGS ON SOUNDER. This has nothing to do with trouble-shooting or

> discussing operational problems. It's philosophy!

> 

> ....

> Eric.

> -- 

> ubuntu-users mailing list

> ubuntu-users (AT) lists (DOT) ubuntu.com

> http://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/ubuntu-users

Good points ...



However I think 

> Just to be clear, I'll say it again, for the record. We don't aim for

> "binary compatibility" with any other distribution.

Is not what we are talking about.... even deb-src compatibility ?



However the main thrust is 100% compatibility is not possible therefore
to avoid YMMV no compatibility is attempted.  



This doesn't *need* to be the case.  

Kanotix has a single developer and maintains 99.99%+ binary
compatibility with the unstable tree.  Kano does this alone
specifically (I beleive) because of the compatibility probs from a
knopix HD install.  It is not beyond the realms of possibility that
Ubuntu with hundreds of devs could achieve half of what Jurgen achives
alone!  It is a matter of perference and that is all.  Jurgen set out
to make it compatible ... Ubuntu set out not to attempt compatibility. 








> It is worth noting that the Linux kernel itself takes the same

> approach, shunning "binary compatibility" in favour of a "custom

> monolithic kernel". Each release of the kernel requires that it be

> compiled separately from previous releases. Modules (drivers) need to

> be recompiled *with* the new release, they cannot just be used in
> their

> binary form. Linus has specifically stated that the monolithic kernel

> - based on source code, not trying to maintain a binary interface for

> drivers across releases - is better for the kernel. We believe the

> same is true for the distribution.



Is simply untrue since 2.6.  (emphasis mine) sorry that is just a
justification. Only the kernel headers are needed to compile kernel
loadable modules and they can be compiled seperately to the kernel.


-- 
Gowator