[ale] Linux Server distros

[Benjie]

> In a data center, or even with just several systems, you just don't plug
> every server into it's own UPS.  Most _home_ UPS's are USB based, higher
> end ones have an ethernet interface, their own IP, and can be managed
> via SNMP.
>
> -Jim P.

Many small businesses and home users are stuck with usb.  Linux is
found outside the data center / enterprise environment.  I think its
really just a case of trying use the one-size fits all distro.
RedHat, Debian, SuSE, etc., could all probably make their base install
more light weight, ( Debian sort of does that),  but most Linux
distros are trying to get people to adopt Linux, and that is much
easier to do when you include things that make life easier for less
experienced Linux users.  ( Is that a run-on sentence?)  Usb is used
for many devices, and some boxes only provide usb support for
keyboards and mice, so it makes sense to include it by default.  I
guess some people find it unfortunate that commercial Linux distros (
and I know Debian is not one,) are trying to make it easier for
Windows users and admins to install and use Linux.
  I personally wish that I could install Fedora without all the Gnome
cruft,  but a lot of their system utilities have a gui counterpart
that requires a minimal working Gnome install.  I understand that they
do that for the newbies and the Windows crowd.  It would be nice if
they all learned the command line way of doing things, and eventually
they probably will.  Until then, I guess what some people consider
crufty installs will continue to be a philosophical and political
argument that will pop up on this list from time to time.  So I think
it would be nice if we could continue to contribute knowledge when we
have it, and spare the gripes.

Benjie
-- 
drug, n: A substance that, injected into a rat, produces a scientific paper.