Multilib Middle-Ground

[Josef Bacik]

Gmail makes it hard for me to follow long threads, so sorry if this
response is a little out of place.  What exactly is the purpose of
installing 32bit binaries on a 64bit box?  The only things I've been
able to see in this thread is for installing proprietary applications.
 So we as the Fedora community, who are strongly dedicated to being
open and free, are going to great lengths in order to make sure that
we can better use proprietary applications/formats?  Every time I do
an install on one of my boxes I have to run my little "get rid of all
the 32 bit rpms" script, otherwise I end up with weird dependancy hell
problems.  Granted the dependancy hell problems are usually my own
doing by running some rawhide packages and such, but nevertheless the
problems do not occur with just x86_64/noarch packages.

I do not use flash, because I believe in what are supposedly the core
values of Fedora.  I do not use any proprietary software, because I
believe in freedom and openness.  Albeit there are plenty of users who
do not share my views, I think that punishing us that do believe in
everything that Fedora is supposed to be about should not be having to
go out of their way in order to put their system back into a normal
state.  I think that if you wish to install proprietary software on
your system, you should be the one who has to do clicky clicky in
order to make it work, and not I who has to run this crappy script
just to have a clean x86_64 install.

I believe having anything but the default be non-multilib is sending
the wrong kind of message, and is border line hypocritical.  Add an
option so that people can have the multilib stuff installed works, but
forcing everybody to have twice the number of packages installed is a
poor answer.

Josef