What should be in core
We needed a place to start this discussion so why not here. What should be in core? What criteria should we use for determining if a package goes into core. This doesn't mean we will apply all these things for the next release, it just means we start being able to define future inclusions/exclusions from core based on a consistent and applicable policy.
This is bluesky brainstorming and we need to start from a couple of basic existing features and assumptions on the increasing thin line between Core and Extras software repositories:
Existing Features
- Fedora Extras repository is enabled by default from Fedora Core 4 onwards.
- Pup in Fedora Core 5 can update both Core and Extras repositories
Future plans
- core must be self-hosting for building and installing - no outside dependencies
- fedora extras iso images will happen at some point. - We have to assume this so that people w/o broadband connections can get to all the goodness outside of core, too. Notably this isn't done yet but we have to start brainstorming now.
- fedora extras packages will eventually be selectable at initial install time, from within anaconda
- System-config-packages will use yum and will be able to install packages from Extras repository potentially within the Fedora Core 5 release.
Notes
Some guidelines for core vs extras for packages in the past
Criteria
This is a list of criteria useful for defining core. What we don't want to see here is a list of packages. We must come up with a list of rules to determine if a package is core or is extras or what.
- important for providing a basic system for a new user
- important for providing a system capable of making installs of other software possible for a new user
- important for building/installing core
- Should satisfy atleast one target segment - Desktop, Developer Workstation or Server. This is important for any forms of redistribution.
- more here...?