Debian flamewar (was: OpenOffice doc...)

[Christopher Schmidt]

I've read the entire thread, but I can't find a single place I'd like to 
respond: I just want to throw my two cents in.

People seem to think that Debian has the most complete package 
repository out there. While I've not used debian much, I have to admit 
that I am amazed at the relatively meager offering of "bleeding edge" 
type packages: things where some new project was just created, and wants 
to get into package management. For pacakages to make it into debian 
unstable takes weeks.

For Gentoo, it takes hours to maybe days, depending on your luck.

For Debian, you get a wide selection of the available software that 
meets their "Free Software Guidelines" - which anyone can tell you are 
occasionally a bit iffy on what they do or don't allow. Figlet is one 
case in point: A pretty large battle has happened on debian-legal over 
the licensing issues. Some packages which seem relatively common to the 
layman (me) are not available. (One that comes to mind is Pine, which is 
the only client my significant other is willing to use without whining a 
lot: Yet I can't just apt-get it.)

Gentoo has pine. And a bunch of other things that I'm sure are probably 
not in Debian's repository.

Now, I understand there are reasons for things like this: that Debian 
tends to take a very CYA attitude towards allowing things in, and that 
"unstable" really doesn't mean unstable in the same way that Gentoo's 
unstable does.

But to me, coming in, I just want something to "Just Work": and I can't 
install pine, and I can't install the newest whosit.

To me, it seems like maybe the size of Debian's package management isn't 
the only thing people like it for: it's size *and* quality which are 
important.

-- 
Christopher Schmidt
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