Development/Whither Shift?

From Shift Linux

Contents

What distribution to use as basis for Shift?

Suggestions:

  • Debian 'Lenny' (=Testing)
  • Debian 'Sid' (=Unstable)
  • Ubuntu 7.10 'Gutsy Gibbon'

Variations

  • Fluxbox
  • Gnome
  • KDE

Platforms:

  • x86
  • x86-64
  • PPC if feasible

Perhaps there should be special versions for registered Neowin users and/or subscribers, offering an incentive to register/subscribe. If yes, how could/should they be different from the normal version?

Default format should be live CD with integrated installer. Optional: Look into integrating the Debian-installer loader for Windows into the distribution.

Artwork

  • User-created themes/icons
  • Optional: Integrate Compiz-Fusion
  • Should Compiz-Fusion be enabled by default if the hardware supports it?

Legal issues

Can the following be integrated without getting into legal troubles:

  • Codecs for mp3, video codecs, libdvdcss
  • Non-free drivers (ATI/AMD, nVidia, various WiFi cards)
  • Alternative: Offer easy ways to install codecs and drivers, similar to how Ubuntu does it

Package selection

  • Don't have too many packages doing the same thing in the default installation, such as 45 editors and 16 web browsers. Rather pick sensible defaults and offer additional packages for download.
  • Would it make sense to create a Shift specific package repository rather than to rely on Debian and/or Ubuntu repositories?
  • Where could a package repository be hosted?
  • Should there be 'testing' and 'unstable' versions of Shift?

Release schedule

  • How often should there be a new stable version of Shift?
  • Suggestion: Every 6 month, similar to the release schedule of Ubuntu or Fedora

Marketing and Propaganda

  • Neowin news item about each stable release as well as notable test releases (example: Build a test release once KDE 4.0 is out and have (registered) users beta-test it)
  • Submissions to major tech news sites - Digg, Slashdot, Distrowatch, OSnews and the like
  • Get Linux magazines to feature Shift as cover CD

To be discussed:

  • How can Shift Linux distinguish itself from other distros?
  • Who are we targeting with it outside of the Neowin community?
  • Are there ways to market Shift Linux (i.e. boxed CDs)? Who could market it?
  • How and where to recruit developers, documentation editors, testers?
  • Should Shift have a SVN or CVS repository, and who should have write access to it?
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