Hi there, even though NetBSD 1.2 is not yet out, I would like to have your
attention, not because you may be my future customers, but you have the
ultimate chance to decide what you want to have.

 The Gateway!  CD-ROM started as a NetBSD-CD-ROM dedicated to the Amiga
computer.  The volume 2 though showed that the demand from the other
architectures was higher than expected.  The next volume therefor will be
more open to all architectures.  Unfortunately I have a small problem
called "space". 

 The next volume will be a two-CD-set.  But even then, I currently believe
the space is limited.  Have you yet seen how large the NetBSD 1.2
distribution is?  My last "du -k" showed 550MB for the mostly gzipped
archives.  And I always wanted that a CD would be bootable (Vol.  2 is
bootable from Amiga, you may even run NetBSD with X directly off CD), that
most of the sources would be unpacked, so that you can compile them using
the UNION-fs, and more ideas.  But the 100MB left don't offer those
possibilites for all platforms.

 After looking over to other distributions - Linux, SCO, Solaris, FreeBSD -
I got the idea to create a double-header.  One CD is dedicated to the
operating system, along with documentation and other basics.  The other CD
should contain (binary) packages like X, ghostscript, TeX, networking tools,
editors, what ever.

 But NetBSD is a horizontal orientated platform, and supplying stuff for
one architecture but not for the other would be unfair.  And only supplying
sources would be as well, and is not really the goal of a binary
distribution.

 On a recent NetBSD-meeting in Germany, two weeks ago, we discussed this
matter and thinked over several ideas but came up to no conclusion.  That
is why I ask you.

 What is it what you want:

 a) Complete distribution of NetBSD 1.2 one CD only. And thats it! (Easy)

 b) binary distribution of important things for all or for a majority of the
     supported architectures on a second CD within a double-header.

 c) source distribution of important things with patch-files if required on
     a second CD within a double-header.

 d) a mixture:  important things such as X for all, and sources for the
     rest on a second CD within a double-header.
 
 e) No other binaries apart from the official NetBSD-distribution, all
     sources unpacked. Fits on one CD.

 f) One basic distribution, and different CD-ROMs, each dedicated to
     different architectures.  (Very unlikely, but why not, if the demand
     is high enough).

 g) other ideas

 Feel free to comment, flame, help, whatever.  And then send me a mail with
your demand listed.  We don't speak about what the binary packages should
include, this is another topic.

 Oh, before you complain:  the Gateway!  series is non-profit.  I dont earn
any money with it.  So flaming me will only harm my ego, and may be the
idea of this concept.  The only person actually earning money - and his
life - is the producer (I am the maintainer).  He takes the risk, the
marketing and the world-wide distribution (you willing to re-distribute the
CD with a fair price in other contries?  Mail me).  The only money _I_ get,
is from voluntary donations.  The volume 2 so far collected around 400DM.
Which is not much, but a start.  We yet have to decide what to do with
this, but I am sure we find something usefull, ie.  a new hard drive for
ftp-server.  Why I do this?  Don't ask, join NetBSD by heart...

-- 
Markus Illenseer