[Mageia-marketing] Mageia product naming/scoping

[Romain d'Alverny]

Hi Bradley,

and thank you for taking the time for such a long answer. Summarizing it, I see:

 * LiveCD (end users)
 * minimal utility LiveCD (advanced technical/sysadmin user)
 * netinstall (anyone)
 * full DVD (anyone)
 * USB version (anyone)
 * 64b version should run 32b apps/libs
 * not crippling any release (see comments below)

that somehow recoups the list on the previous page. So the matter is
still more in the names and use cases.

On Tue, Mar 15, 2011 at 21:27, Bradley D. Thornton <Bradley at northtech.us> wrote:
> For the most part, much of this topic has already been decided,

It happens that we have a list of formats we'd like to release, and
that's what is listed on the page, but the discussion is open anyway.
The goal is really to have a table with two columns: what will be done
for Mageia 1, what will be aimed for Mageia 2.

> As far as servers, however, I am not a proponent of RPM based distros -
> nor will I be. I'm just not your man if you want someone to tout the
> benefits of Mageia in the datacenter or back office.

Ok. But (apart from the "why?") that doesn't mean it doesn't qualify
at all. There are servers and servers. And there are things beyond
desktop and server.

> there shouldn't be ANY DISTINCTION WHATSOEVER between one
> of the above spins of Mageia and support subscription ready versions
> [...] the distro should be able to stand upon its own in the community
> and be equally appropriate for those who want to self-administer with
> community support or paid subscription support.
> [...]
> On the other hand, if we simply provide enterprise support as a value
> added option for some, or any of our distro's various spins, then I'm
> all for it - even if such a model isn't in the works.

There's no reason why we would provide a crippled version of anything
- unless you start to consider the software patents issue, but even
there, that's a kind of restriction that is taken into account at the
whole project level (through the media policy).

Mageia.Org is not going to conduct commercial activities. And any
business may come around and provide professional support or any
derivative/spin of Mageia main line, or added-value package. Those are
even encouraged and would be referenced as support/extension providers
to the main product.

> I'm really hoping that we end up with a product that I can confidently,
> and proudly recommend on the enterprise desktop which I have no
> hesitation to use, in the campaign to erradicate wINdOZe.

For the next 5 years (10 at most), however, the enterprise desktop is
as waning a target as the personal desktop, at least in its current
form. At best, it will stay as a development or static platform.
Common usage of computers is becoming more and more transparent
through many other devices and use cases. We ought to explore these
more and more (but that's out of scope for Mageia 1).


Cheers,

Romain