SprezzOS FAQ: Difference between revisions

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''Ask more questions, more frequently, and there'll be more FAQ!''
==Preliminaries==
# '''Did the world really need another Linux distribution?'''
#* Probably not. Does it really need you? At least SprezzOS has a page of [[Why_SprezzOS?|justification]] for its existence.
# '''What if [http://sprezzatech.com Sprezzatech] should go out of business?'''
#* I would continue to work on the Project as time was available, though one wonders if it's worth living in such a world.
# '''What if you get hit by a bus?'''
#* That's admittedly a problem. Since it's all open source, anyone could pick it up and fork it.
#* The Debian Derivatives Census tracks all divergences from Debian, and could be used to assure all desirable changes get merged back in.
# '''Isn't it "FAQs"?'''
#* If you love redundancies so much, why don't you marry them?
==[[Installation]]==
# '''I just installed, and my machine seems broken. It just says "login" on a black screen. Ought I lose hope?'''
#* No; you're in [[the shell environment]]. [[GUI#X|X.org]] is not installed by default in [[SprezzOS 1]].
#* If you want to run it, you'll need log in and install the <tt>xorg-xserver</tt> package, the appropriate video package, and appropriate input packages.
# '''I don't need no stinking text mode! Will you ever install [[GUI#X|X.org]] by default?'''
#* We plan to support configuration of [[GUI#X|X.org]] directly from the installer of [[SprezzOS 2]].
# '''Where's USB-based media?'''
#* It'll be made available as soon as it's available.
===Installation Problems===
# '''Are there hardware configurations on which the installer is known to fail?'''
#* Sadly many, I'm afraid. Our installer is neither as mature nor robust as I'd like it to be.
#* It's improving slowly, but is definitely the weak link in the SprezzOS chain. I'm sorry.
#* Please [http://sprezzatech.com/bugzilla file bugs].
# '''Why did my install fail during package installation? Don't you people test these things?'''
#* The installation media is constant for a SprezzOS version, but it fetches and installs a set of packages dependent on the current upstream repositories.
#* Some packaging bugs only manifest themselves when configured during install, and slip through.
#* Sometimes interpackage bugs (i.e., dependence on a missing package) slip through.
#* Please [http://sprezzatech.com/bugzilla file bugs]. These tend to get fixed very quickly once noted.
==[[Security]]==
# '''I want to do everything as root, and am smarter than you. Why must I create a user account?'''
#* If you're so smart, figure out a way to install without creating a user account.
#* Or just never use it. Or remove it. You're running as root all the time anyway. Set your login shell to <tt>rm -rf</tt> / for all I care.
# '''I adhere to Richard Stallman's no-passwords policy. Why do you force a password upon me?'''
#* It's a useful protection against stuck ENTER keys driving runaway installs.
#* Were it not for people like you, there'd be [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZCNGaafnAGk no thievery in this world!]
# '''Why isn't there a password on <tt>[[sudo]]</tt>? And a timeout? And a supersecret password after the first password? That'd be''' '''''tre''''' '''secure!'''
#* For the same reason you don't turn the lights on and off 17 times when you leave a room. Observe:
## Eve pwns Bob's account.
## Eve installs a keystroke logger running with Bob's privileges.
## Bob now has to type a bunch of stupid crap, even though...
## Eve still captures both the secret and supersecret passwords, successfully escalating privilege.
# '''How do I get back TCPwrappers support?'''
#* Set the Delorean's circuits for 1985 and get that baby up to 88. Alternatively, use IPTables.
==Multimedia==
# '''Where's the Enlightened Sound Daemon?'''
#* The last ESD release was 2008. It has been deprecated for years, and PulseAudio supplies a compatibility module. It will not be returning.
# '''How do I watch Flash in my browser?'''
#* You can try installing the <tt>flash-nonfree</tt> package, though it is no longer supported upstream, tends to crash a lot, and has known security issues.
#* You can try installing the <tt>gnash-plugin</tt> package, though it doesn't work very often.
#* Yeah, I agree this situation sucks. Sorry, man; I didn't do it.
# '''How can I rip physical Blu-Ray media?'''
#* We recommend the (regrettably closed-source) [http://www.makemkv.com/ MakeMKV]. It has strong, active Linux support, and works very well.
==[[GUI#X|X]]==
# '''I ran <tt>startx</tt> and just have an ugly black xterm! Where's all my crap?'''
#* You need to install a [[GUI#window manager|window manager]], and run it in your <tt>.xinitrc</tt>.
# '''Can't I have a graphical login?'''
#* Yes; you need to install and enable a [[GUI#display manager|display manager]].
==Misc==
# '''Why does all of this suck so much?'''
#* Humility is endless. You get what you pay for. Patches are welcome.
# '''Where can I send these patches?'''
#* sprezzos-dev@googlegroups.com, or better yet attach them to a [http://sprezzatech.com/bugzilla bug].
# '''This is awesome! How can I help?'''
#* Money, money, money. Please donate using the '''''Donate''''' button on the left. Your donations keep the Project afloat.
# '''Using Facebook as a login mechanism for the wiki makes me unhappy!'''
#* That is a statement, not a question.
# '''Don't you know that successful large projects need consensus, not a rogue [[HIC]] playing by his own rules?'''
#* The Linux kernel and Linus Torvalds would seem to be a counterexample, but I suppose that only time will tell.
# '''Isn't this really just [[HIC|one guy]]? Why do you keep saying "we"?'''
#* Future-proofing, and yes, but I fight with the strength of ten tigers.
{{Handbook}}
{{Handbook}}

Latest revision as of 07:26, 4 May 2013

Ask more questions, more frequently, and there'll be more FAQ!

Preliminaries

  1. Did the world really need another Linux distribution?
    • Probably not. Does it really need you? At least SprezzOS has a page of justification for its existence.
  2. What if Sprezzatech should go out of business?
    • I would continue to work on the Project as time was available, though one wonders if it's worth living in such a world.
  3. What if you get hit by a bus?
    • That's admittedly a problem. Since it's all open source, anyone could pick it up and fork it.
    • The Debian Derivatives Census tracks all divergences from Debian, and could be used to assure all desirable changes get merged back in.
  4. Isn't it "FAQs"?
    • If you love redundancies so much, why don't you marry them?

Installation

  1. I just installed, and my machine seems broken. It just says "login" on a black screen. Ought I lose hope?
    • No; you're in the shell environment. X.org is not installed by default in SprezzOS 1.
    • If you want to run it, you'll need log in and install the xorg-xserver package, the appropriate video package, and appropriate input packages.
  2. I don't need no stinking text mode! Will you ever install X.org by default?
    • We plan to support configuration of X.org directly from the installer of SprezzOS 2.
  3. Where's USB-based media?
    • It'll be made available as soon as it's available.

Installation Problems

  1. Are there hardware configurations on which the installer is known to fail?
    • Sadly many, I'm afraid. Our installer is neither as mature nor robust as I'd like it to be.
    • It's improving slowly, but is definitely the weak link in the SprezzOS chain. I'm sorry.
    • Please file bugs.
  2. Why did my install fail during package installation? Don't you people test these things?
    • The installation media is constant for a SprezzOS version, but it fetches and installs a set of packages dependent on the current upstream repositories.
    • Some packaging bugs only manifest themselves when configured during install, and slip through.
    • Sometimes interpackage bugs (i.e., dependence on a missing package) slip through.
    • Please file bugs. These tend to get fixed very quickly once noted.

Security

  1. I want to do everything as root, and am smarter than you. Why must I create a user account?
    • If you're so smart, figure out a way to install without creating a user account.
    • Or just never use it. Or remove it. You're running as root all the time anyway. Set your login shell to rm -rf / for all I care.
  2. I adhere to Richard Stallman's no-passwords policy. Why do you force a password upon me?
    • It's a useful protection against stuck ENTER keys driving runaway installs.
    • Were it not for people like you, there'd be no thievery in this world!
  3. Why isn't there a password on sudo? And a timeout? And a supersecret password after the first password? That'd be tre secure!
    • For the same reason you don't turn the lights on and off 17 times when you leave a room. Observe:
    1. Eve pwns Bob's account.
    2. Eve installs a keystroke logger running with Bob's privileges.
    3. Bob now has to type a bunch of stupid crap, even though...
    4. Eve still captures both the secret and supersecret passwords, successfully escalating privilege.
  4. How do I get back TCPwrappers support?
    • Set the Delorean's circuits for 1985 and get that baby up to 88. Alternatively, use IPTables.

Multimedia

  1. Where's the Enlightened Sound Daemon?
    • The last ESD release was 2008. It has been deprecated for years, and PulseAudio supplies a compatibility module. It will not be returning.
  2. How do I watch Flash in my browser?
    • You can try installing the flash-nonfree package, though it is no longer supported upstream, tends to crash a lot, and has known security issues.
    • You can try installing the gnash-plugin package, though it doesn't work very often.
    • Yeah, I agree this situation sucks. Sorry, man; I didn't do it.
  3. How can I rip physical Blu-Ray media?
    • We recommend the (regrettably closed-source) MakeMKV. It has strong, active Linux support, and works very well.

X

  1. I ran startx and just have an ugly black xterm! Where's all my crap?
  2. Can't I have a graphical login?

Misc

  1. Why does all of this suck so much?
    • Humility is endless. You get what you pay for. Patches are welcome.
  2. Where can I send these patches?
    • sprezzos-dev@googlegroups.com, or better yet attach them to a bug.
  3. This is awesome! How can I help?
    • Money, money, money. Please donate using the Donate button on the left. Your donations keep the Project afloat.
  4. Using Facebook as a login mechanism for the wiki makes me unhappy!
    • That is a statement, not a question.
  5. Don't you know that successful large projects need consensus, not a rogue HIC playing by his own rules?
    • The Linux kernel and Linus Torvalds would seem to be a counterexample, but I suppose that only time will tell.
  6. Isn't this really just one guy? Why do you keep saying "we"?
    • Future-proofing, and yes, but I fight with the strength of ten tigers.

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