Live ISOs that don't fit on CDs

[Bill Davidsen]

Christopher Beland wrote:
> So in the process of triaging Bug 557958, I have found a user with an
> interest in lobbying against the decision to allow Live ISOs that are
> too large to burn to CD.  (They can't boot off USB or DVD, and I think
> is experiencing a bug with their network install.)
> 
> I'm not questioning the decision, but as more people discover that
> things are too big to burn onto CD, it would be helpful to have
> someplace to point them.
> 
> After poking around a bit in mailing list archives, I couldn't find any
> official announcement, nor did I find the reference which I think which
> was on this mailing list where I first learned about this myself.  Does
> anyone know which group made this decision, and if there's an official
> reasoning?  (Or for that matter if there's still a chance that it might
> be reversed.)
> 
> It might be helpful to update:
> 
> https://fedoraproject.org/wiki/FedoraLiveCD
> 
> with some explanation, for example:
> 
> * The vast majority of users can boot off USB, if not DVD, and so are
> not affected by the change.  The larger size better serves the majority
> by providing the software that most people need in a Live distribution.
> * Non-Live installation methods are still available on CD, including
> network install from a minimal image, or offline install from multiple
> CDs.
> * Users that can only boot off CD but still need a Live distribution can
> use Revisor and published kickstart files to slim down the official
> spins to include only the software they actually need.
> 
My thought is that there is value in a LiveCD which really is a CD, and value in 
a LiveDVD which puts virtually everything you normally want on one media, but 
there is little utility in an ISO which doesn't fit on a CD but still needs 
network connectivity to be really useful. I can appreciate some people wanting 
to use a 4GB USB, but 3.5GB of ISO leaves room for some work space and provides 
enough tools to be useful.

A benefit during rapid change (pre-beta) is that if you find that you need X you 
may have to upgrade a bunch of other things to get X, while X on the ISO may be 
obsolete, but at least it matches.

Yes, I know my opinion is not universally shared. ;-)

-- 
Bill Davidsen <davidsen at tmr.com>
   "We have more to fear from the bungling of the incompetent than from
the machinations of the wicked."  - from Slashdot