Subject: Re: Is there anybody who sells CD containing NetBSD?
To: Volker A. Brandt <volker@sfb256.iam.uni-bonn.de>
From: Ken Hornstein <kenh@entropic.com>
List: netbsd-help
Date: 01/25/1995 12:03:17
>> Charles is correct (i think i'm the one who gave him that bit of
>> information... 8-).  The BSDisc does _NOT_ contain a complete copy of
>> the NetBSD 1.0 distribution.  Because of that, *i* don't feel very good
>> about encouraging anybody to buy it...
>
>It seems that you and other core team members resent the fact that NetBSD is
>sold on CD-ROM.  You repeatedly mention that the BSDisc NetBSD distribution is
>incomplete, yet you (a) don't specify what is missing, and you (b) don't give
>any information about other CD-ROM-based NetBSD distributions and/or the 
>"proper" way of obtaining a complete NetBSD release for CD-ROM distribution.
>
>I am at a loss as to why you take this attitude.   Maybe I'm reading too much
>into your postings ...

I think that perhaps you are ... I certainly didn't get that impression.

My understanding is that the BSDisc does not include the pc532 binaries (which
makes it useless for people trying to install on a pc532) and the sparc X11
tree.  Although to be fair to BSDisc, they gave a detailed list of what was
included, and I am fairly sure they never said "full 1.0 distribution" - they
said source, binaries for i386 and a few others, XFree86, and a few packages.
So it's not if they were misrepresenting themselves.  It's also worth pointing
out that this isn't a NetBSD-only disc (it comes with FreeBSD as well) and
it's rather full, so I think that the main problem was that they ran out of
room.  I don't view it like someone lied to me.  Since right now we only have
an i386 at home, the BSDisc is good enough for me.

I can certainly understand why the core group wouldn't want to recommend it
if it doesn't contain all of NetBSD - what if someone who doesn't have net
connectivity buys the BSDisc on their recommendation, but has a sparc and wants
X11 to work?  I'd be rather upset if I was in such a position.

I believe that another group is making a full NetBSD distribution on CD-ROM
very soon now, but I don't know much about that.

--Ken