Hi all together,

I already posted my plans here to distribute NetBSD with FreeBSD,
Slackware and OpenSolaris side by side.

I want to thank for every comment I got from this mailing lists members.
They helped me to come to the final design of the project.

Now there is a website for Menhir.
And I wrote something like a press release which I want post here so
you know what Menhir will bring to the user and to the developer.

***********Begin****************
Menhir was started to grow the publicity of FreeBSD, NetBSD and
OpenSolaris side by side with Slackware.
And to widen the skills of the users to all four operating systems.

If you look at the Free Software scene you see that most if not all
projects - at the operating system level and at the application level
- and magazines, blogs and newspapers concentrate on GNU/Linux. Also
you can note that most people start with a Linux distribution and then
lock himself in the GNU/Linux world. This is very unfortunate as the
other free Unix-like operating systems bring with them great
development and usage culture. The one missing bit at their side is
popularity.

So Menhir is going to reach the above vision by building a strong,
open and helpful community to cultivate and distribute the knowledge
about all four, free operating systems. Because in the free software
scene the popularity of projects grow by "propaganda". And
"propaganda" is spread by experienced users and developers who will be
fully satisfied by the operating systems because of their successes
basing on their experience.

To build the knowledge following development projects are started in
the Menhir project:
* A document based on "BSD Associate Exam Objectives" will be written
which guides every user in the use and administration of FreeBSD,
NetBSD, Slackware and OpenSolaris.
* A document based on "Advanced Linux Programming" will be written
which teaches the advanced devlopment on the four platforms.
* The base systems of Slackware, FreeBSD, NetBSD and OpenSolaris are
ported to the pkgsrc format. After finishing this project everyone
will be able to install the operating systems with their userland
using the pkgsrc tools.
* A collection of kernel configuration files for desktops, laptops and
servers. You get insight in the structure and building of the kernel
if you configure and compile your own for your hardware. So at the
website of Menhir we will collect configuration files for the hardware
of the big hardware vendors.
* A structured manual for the engineer-like construction and
installation of an infrastructure basing on the four operating
systems. With all four operating systems you can perfectly build
networks for home and professional use. This manual called "Free
Software Systems Engineering" will guide you in the effort to build
efficient and secure networks.

What we will get in the end is a great collaboration of the developers
and users of all todays communities of the four operating systems for
a distribution with the priciples: Strength, Dynamics, Knowledge and
Freedom.

You, dear reader, are invited to join the newsgroup for all your
questions, comments and contributions of all sorts.

The website of Menhir is : http://code.google.com/p/menhir
The newsgroup of Menhir is: http://groups.google.com/group/menhir-discuss
***********End****************

I am aware that NetBSD has the syspkgs project. This will be my guide
to also get the other systems to pkgsrc.
I am also aware that the porting of the systems to pkgsrc is a big
effort. As in every free sw project every help is welcome. Even if the
help is only guiding and commenting not coding.

You can post your comments here or in the newsgroup.

regards
Gueven Bay