Fancy a new distribution

[FoulDragon at aol.com]

In a message dated 6/8/2006 4:34:34 AM US Mountain Standard Time, 
reed at reedmedia.net writes:

>You may want to look at the BSDs again.

>I am not sure what you mean by being reliant about sucking packages down 
>the network. If you use the same software on different systems, you will 
>have to download the same. (The binaries would be at least similar in 
>size.)

I mean:

Some distributions (Debian comes to mind) don't really release a 
top-to-bottom up-to-date disc set very often, so you're expected to install a 
near-obsolete version, then dist-upgrade to the new stuff.  Which means six weeks on the 
modem.

Some distributions (FreeBSD, not a distro, I know, but Gentoo) simply don't 
put much software on the CD itself, instead relying on a package system which 
downloads prior to use.

>But if you mean, you want the software to be available in the default 
>install direct from the installation CDs ...

That's what I mean; it doesn't have to be in the default install, but the big 
things-- kernel source, OpenOffice.org, etc. had better not be on the far end 
of a 56k straw.

I note that not a lot has changed... I recall my old parallel scanner 
wouldn't work with sane before, and my new USB one won't either :D  And nobody seems 
to report getting my old "Penguin sticker and closed source driver" Samsung 
1210 printer under NetBSD.