Subject: Re: State of ALPHA alpha 1.3
To: Tim Rightnour <root@garbled.futureone.com>
From: Curt Sampson <cjs@portal.ca>
List: port-alpha
Date: 12/09/1997 18:57:23
On Tue, 9 Dec 1997, Tim Rightnour wrote:

> # There will be a 1.3 release, yes. It's not going to have a slick
> # install, but it will exist.
> 
> I guess what I was asking is, do we consider it stable yet?

Well, yes and no. It's nowhere near the sort of stability of the
i386 port, where you can generally plunk it on any machine and
expect it to work. There are a lot of chunks of code for various
machines and features that simply have not been adequately tested.

However, if you do manage to get it running on a machine, and you've
got a modicum of hacking ability in case anything goes wrong
initially, it should be ok. I use it on my main file server and
router at home, and it's been pretty good for me.

> Most likely if you are running alpha.. it would be my guess that you don't
> really need a "drool proof" install like sysinst.  The boot floppy would be
> nice to get working though.  (it actually seems to work for me quite well..
> other than the overruns, which are an annoyance.. not a "problem")

Yeah, that's what I'd figured. I would like to have it simple enough
that we might be able to easily convert some of the more sophisticated
Linux users, though. Initial frustration on the install is a good
way to turn someone away.

cjs

Curt Sampson    cjs@portal.ca	   Info at http://www.portal.ca/
Internet Portal Services, Inc.	   Through infinite myst, software reverberates
Vancouver, BC  (604) 257-9400	   In code possess'd of invisible folly.