Date: Mon, 25 Sep 2000 19:35:28 -0700 (PDT)
From: Curtis Lee Fulton <curtisf@blur.cx>
To: mjhammel@graphics-muse.org
Subject: Linux multimedia distro

Greetings,

A project to assemble a complete Linux multimedia distro has been started.
If you're interested in helping out, please read on.

My name is Curtis Lee Fulton.  Currently I'm writing a book about
Linux non-linear video editing for No Starch Press.  I'm also producing a
documentary about Linux, using Linux purely for post-production.  More
information about that can be found at http://blur.cx/linux/

The goal is to produce a distro that is easy to use and that serves as a
standard for desktop multimedia apps.  Based on my personal experience and
the input I've received from Linux and non-Linux computer artists, this is
the kind of distro I envision so far:

1) Base it on Debian

2) Gut all server-side, back-end and development tools and replace with
the vast library of multimedia tools we all know and love but never seem
to make it onto a distro.

3) Include a collection of scaled fonts

4) Conform to the low-latency howto:
http://www.crosswinds.net/~linuxmusic/lowlatency.html

5) Include ALSA

6) shoot for an ISO9660 no larger then 100 megs

7) Massive pre-configuration of desktop, application dot-files and MIME
types ( put in /etc/skel )

8) Integrate useful command-line utils into a Python/GTK powered UI and/or
GNOME panel.  ( Sox, xanim, Williams' mpeg tools, etc.)

9) Easy X11 color-correction

Please email me if you are interested, and feel free to forward this email
to friends who might be interested as well.  I'm in the process of getting
a mailing list up.  From there, those interested can debate and discuss
until we have a spec we all agree on.  From there people can choose what
area they want to organize.

Sincerely,

Curtis Fulton