On 02/19/2011 07:00 AM, Bob & Jeanne Good wrote:
> Good morning Troy,
>
> I downloaded the 3.4 gigabyte SL6 Install DVD expecting an up-to-date
> system (latest kernel, etc.) upon completion of the install. But, to my
> disappointment, I had 112 packages waiting on me when I checked for
> updates.
>
> I found the SL6 Install DVD is basically the Red Hat 6 Final (same kernel
> ,
>   etc.) just like Oracle 6 (which I tried earlier this week). One of my
> numerous gripes I had with Oracle 6 was many packages/applications were
>
> so old in comparison to the then current SL6.
>
>
> Might I suggest that this Install DVD be updated to include the latest
> packages? It would be a nice alternative for people who like Scientific
>
> Linux but have no need for all those other packages that are included
> in the EVERYTHING DVD.
>
> Best regards,
>
> Bob Good

Hi Bob,
Although others explained some items, I will explain a bit more because 
you might not be the only one confused.

SL6 is different than past SL releases.  I am writting up a web page on 
the differences.
http://www.scientificlinux.org/distributions/6x/features/differences

You hit upon two of the major points.

1) The install DVD's for SL6 only have the original packages, not the 
updated ones.  This is for Install as well as Everything.
In older SL releases (SL3-5) we would put in the latest security and 
fastbug releases up until the day of RC 2.5.  (Note for SL 5.6 and 4.9 
will continue to follow this procedure)
This is fine, except for two problems.
First - There is always security and bug fixes the day after a release. 
  So you *always* have to do an update even the day after a release.
Second - Testing the release was/is very hard because you have a moving 
target.  You don't have the same packages that TUV has, so checking 
those are harder to make sure you have the correct packages, as well as 
checking to make sure you don't have any extra bugs.
Third - We were installing all the fastbugs, whether you wanted them or 
not.  There were several times that people did not want a certain 
bugfix, and they were unable to not have it.

2) There are fewer extra packages in SL6 than there were in past SL 
releases.  As someone noted, Kstars is not in SL6.
For SL6 we are trying to only put in minimal extra packages.  The 
scientists we talked with didn't want to put their packages into both 
EPEL and SL.  They wanted to be able to put a package, and maintain a 
package in EPEL without worrying about the version in SL getting out of 
sync.
This is because the users of the scientific programs use SL, CentOS and 
RHEL.  And if SL has a different version of their program than is in 
EPEL, then it's extra work for the package maintainer to document that 
for SL users they have to do something different.

I hope this answered your questions and wasn't too long winded.

Troy
-- 
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Troy Dawson  [log in to unmask]  (630)840-6468
Fermilab  ComputingDivision/SCF/FEF/SLSMS Group
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