[@core] working definition for the minimal package set

[Seth Vidal]

On Mon, 12 Nov 2012, Matthew Miller wrote:

> Okay, cool -- there's a lot of enthusiasm for a SIG for the core package
> set.
>
> So, first up on the SIG goals: clarifying our target.
>
> It's been suggested before that there's so many possibilities that this is
> useless, but the point here is to *pick* a reasonable choice as a group and
> to work with that (even if we can't get complete consensus). Then, later,
> when someone says "but minimal could mean so many differen things!" we
> simply say "sure, but *this* is what we mean".
>
> I see three basic options for the target:
>
> A) kernel + init system and we're done
> B) "boot to yum (with network)": a text-mode bootstrap environment on which
>    other things can be added by hand (or by kickstart)
> C) a traditional Unix command line environment with the expected basic
>    tools available
>
> To me, 'C' is too wide for two reasons. First, it's too open for continual
> debate, because different people might expect different tools. Second, it's
> not necessarily the right base for the rest of the distribution, because
> many use cases might not really need that traditional Unix environment.
>
> I think 'A' is interesting and useful, but I don't think it should be our
> target, because it's not *useful enough*. We may want to eventually define a
> sub-group which covers just this tiny base (maybe with busybox?), but I
> think that's a different project.
>
> So that leaves me at *mostly B*, although I have some sympathy to the idea
> that we should include a few other things like a man page reader, since
> we're installing man pages, and a way to deliver e-mail to root, since we're
> installing things that send such mail. And I think the core environment
> should include ssh, but I'm open to the idea that even that should be an
> add-on.
>
> What do you think?
>

I think ssh has to be in the mix. Of ths systems I use/maintain/etc very 
few of them are ones I actually have a reliable console to.

If ssh isn't there, I have to add it just to get the system set up.

-sv