Hm... not sure I agree. I'm old-skool and have always preferred to build my systems exactly as I wanted them. This, actually, is one reason why I've stuck so long with Windows... I know this OS in and out (having compiled my first Win16 app in the mid-80s). My productivity definitely will take a hit if I switched full-time to a Linux system (BTDT).Bogomips wrote:IMHO we are talking distro here and not os. Distro needs sufficient apps preinstalled for one to give it a second look.tmsg wrote:Actually, it is debatable whether even a stable OS (let's remember here that OS stands for Operating System and not for Giant Collection of Apps) needs a big amount of pre-installed apps anyway. For me, one of the great attractions of Porteus is that it comes almost bare-bones (indeed, for my taste there's already too much "app stuff" in there).
And as I said... if I really want a full-blown distro with all the stuff and kitchen sink I know where to look. There is certainly a niche (perhaps a significant niche) for, OK let's say, a VERY SMALL distro if the word OS is too loaded. Or rather, not loaded:-)
The way one clicks together one's own ISO on the Porteus website might be the way to go. Some get just the core, others add browser, office apps and what have you. Plus, as mentioned, a good repo system can take away a lot of pressure to include everything in the base distro.