ConnochaetOS

It has been long long time I haven't come back here. I have noticed this news about deli being discontinued.

even though I don't have much skill about making an OS work, but I am learning some basic.

Now I am asking some programmer friends about their opinion, they would like to help when they have free time. Hopefully, this project will be continued.

I'll read LINUX FROM SCRATCH documentation and some other necessary documentation so that I can have some basic idea how to make a system. My programmer friends would help me together.

Hello wlin5, did you want to continue deli, or want to start new project?
I am think about deli revival, but first i thing need to talk with haary and delix about it.
I thing i will found some friends, who will be help in this deli project.
But i am new to this dealing, newer before it, do not work with linux development, so it will be the first try.

1. revive this project, of course.

2. since I've been doing flower design, I haven't had much time picking up my computer knowledge and skill, so I will have a period of time picking up some, such as NCURSE, bourn shell, perl....etc.

3. I am actually asking some of my friends now. Two programmers are willing to help, one doesn't have linux experience, but know some programming. The other two, still waiting for their reply.

4. It will be tough for us once we maintain this project, more people, better.

So I am with you, wlin5.
I am really minded to help.
I haven't knowledge too, because I am biology teacher, as occupation, but linux, open code and IT is my hobby. So these project I thing will be good chance for me, to picking up my computer knowledge and skill, too.
I just write a email for hjensen@delilinux.de, for this point, but do not receive the answer yet.

there is a dillema that deli users or developers have to encounter.

Previously when I tried to find an input method for for deli 0.8, I know uClibc locale support is very poor. I tried to compile xcin under deli, but after make, I found out the fundamental problem is it relies on GLIBC, not uClibc. A lot of softwares rely on GLIBC. I tried to trick compiler to compile using uClibc, the result is it doesn't compile at all, 'cuz a lot of function declaration doesn't exist or not implemented under uClibc.

At that time I sensed the critical problem for deli is software porting. Recompile softwares using uClibc is not an easy problem at all. Re-written software is not the best approach, but a "must-do" to re-written apps.

Deli's internal isn't really bad. It doesn't need so much maintenance, 'cuz it doesn't have to use the newest kernel, after all. The key problem is apps recompile/re-writing.

Nice to see there are enthusiastic members willing to take over the project! A distribution really IS its community

I'm pretty much in the same situation: would like to help but unsure of my skills (I think I'm doing ok as a user though not so much as a maintainer/developer).

I see you mention Linux From Scratch. From what I've read about it, it seems indeed like a very good way to learn how to build a distro, however I believe they mainly focus on the 2.6 kernel so I am not sure how much applies to DeLi.

uClibc might be another tough cookie, however this and the 2.4 kernel are in my opinion the main reasons DeLi does so well on computers with limited resources, and what sets the distribution apart from the rest. Then again, there are no rules carved in stone...

As for getting help, I think we could try and get in touch with people from Damn Small Linux, as it also uses the 2.4 series of kernel, they probably have a lot of experience with it.

First of all, a good starting point could be to ask as many DeLi users as possible about what they enjoy the most about DeLi and what they would like to see added, to set working guidelines for the project.
Also an inventory of the different skills we have here.

For example delix has contributed a lot of packages so I think he's (she's?) pretty skilled at building.

Haary posted a reply in announcement category.

I've thought about this problem as well. How do we support flash video under such an resource limited system?

I remember I used to play video by MPlayer in console using ASCII rendering. It does work! Below shows un-automated method by saving youtube file to hard disk and play it using MPlayer ASCII mode.

http://hackedgadgets.com/2007/06/28/text-based-youtube-video-player-for-linux/

Can MPlayer be compiled and installed in deli?

for browsers, can LINKS and OPERA be merged into deli?
I don't know if java should be considered or not, since it's a ram eater.

I'm interesting too, but i have the problem, that i don't know where i have to begin. There is to much, i don't understand this moment (but i'm learning).

Maybe we create a new topic "packages for beginners"? Everyone can write in that, what steps he has done well and where he has a problem (or she).

norman wrote

I'm interesting too, but i have the problem, that i don't know where i have to begin. There is to much, i don't understand this moment (but i'm learning).

Maybe we create a new topic "packages for beginners"? Everyone can write in that, what steps he has done well and where he has a problem (or she).

yeah, that is a good idea. For each user, He/she should write down how he/she compile a package, including how he modify MAKEFILE, and when he/she encounter compile error, what is that error message, and how does he/she fix by changing the source code or modifying (or even cancelling some portion of the source code to accomodate uClibc), so that for each package or software, we will have some guide line regarding to porting softwares/apps/packages.

Sounds a lot like the AUR system from Arch Linux
http://www.delilinux.org/wiki/doku.php?id=software:thirdparty has the PKGBUILD file for GIMP, good starting point.
I remember trying to run Opera (you can download a tar ball and run the binary directly) but it failed, since it was a long time ago, I can't remember the details, sorry. (getting a bit off-topic though)