LWN DISTRIBUTION SURVEY
			     version 0.31

     The LWN distribution survey is a tool to gather comparable
     information about Linux distributions.  All provided surveys
     will be made publicly available in their entirety.  They
     are dated, so that multiple versions of a survey for a
     specific distribution can exist, providing historical
     information.

______________________________________________________________________________


Survey Date: 29 November 2000

Name of person providing information: Michael McConnell

E-mail address:soruk@eridani.co.uk

Connection with this distribution: Distribution creator/maintainer

   (note, survey information from distribution creators/developers
    will replace information from other interested parties, wherever
    available.)

1.   What is the name of your distribution? Eridani Linux

     What is the website for your distribution? http://www.eridani.co.uk

2.   What is the derivation of your distribution?

    _ SLS

    _ Slackware

    _ Jurix

    X Red Hat

    _ Debian

    _ rolled from scratch

    _ other  (Please name:                   )

2a.   If you answered anything besides "rolled from scratch", do
      you still consider your distribution "tied" to its derivation,
      e.g., you release updates to your distribution based on updates
      from the original distribution?

     Yes - mostly.

2b.  If you answered "rolled from scratch" or other,
     do you use a package management system?

     If yes, which one?

3.   What languages do you support?  Please list, including English,
     if appropriate.

     Currently, all supported by Red Hat Linux 6.2 - including English

4.   Would you classify your distribution as a "mini"-distribution?
     (This is a very flexible term, covering Linux distributions
     sized for a floppy or smaller, up through CD or disk-based
     Linux distributions that are on the small size.  It is more a
     matter of perception, in terms of whether you define the
     distribution partially by its small size compared to generic
     distributions like Debian, Red Hat, et al.)

     _ yes

     X no

4a.  If you answered yes to the above, please mark any of the
     following that are applicable:

     _ CD-based, e.g., intended to be booted from and run directly
       from a CD without requiring a hard disk.

     _ Disk-based, small, but intended to be run from a hard disk.
       Presumably too large for a floppy.

     _ Floppy-based

       How many floppies for the base distribution?

       How many floppies for supported add-ons?

     _ Flash-disk-based

     _ Other

       Please explain:


5.   Hardware Support.  Please mark all the hardware platforms that
     your distribution supports.

     _ Alpha

     _ IBM S/390

     X Intel x86/Pentium

     _ IA64

     _ NEC Mobile Gear PDAs

     _ Sparc

     _ Sparc64

     _ StrongARM

     _ PowerPC

     _ PowerPC G4

     _ RS/6000

     _ Microcontrollers

     _ Other, please list:


5a.  For what hardware platforms do you provide optimized binaries,
     if any?

     i486. It's got to run on older hardware too.

6.  Why did you decide to produce a Linux distribution?

    In the UK, most Net access is metered. Including updates into a distro
    means the end user does not have to sit on the modem for hours on end
    racking up the phone bill to get the updates.

7.  What is the target audience for your distribution?

    UK end users, primarily those on dial-up connections. Those who do not
    need the extra tech support a commercial boxed set gives.

8.  Would you consider your distribution to be:

    X general purpose, e.g., useful for servers, desktops, and
      requiring tailoring for specific purposes.

    _ special purpose, e.g., specifically tailored for a single
      functionality or a small group of functionalities.


8a. If you consider your distribution to be special purpose,
    below are a list of possible purposes.  Please check all that
    apply and add any that are missing:

    _ Appliances, such as:
       _ Communications Server
       _ Router/Firewall
       _ Web Cache

    _ DOS/Windows support, via:
       _ DOS partition
       _ DOS/Windows install, separate boot
       _ Windows Users, accessible from Windows

    _ Diskless Terminal support

    _ Education/Schools

    _ Ease-of-use, for non-technical users

    _ Embedded Systems

    _ High-end and Cluster computing

    _ Non-exportable crytographic support

    _ Older, slower hardware (pre-Pentium, for example)

    _ Optimized performance

    _ Reduced memory usage

    _ Rescue disk

    _ Security

    _ Targeted user market, such as:
      _ ISPs
      _ E-commerce sites
      _ Highly Experienced, Technical users
      _ Physically challenged
      _ other

9.   Who are the primary developers for your distribution?
     Please provide email addresses.
     Michael McConnell <soruk@eridani.co.uk>

9a.  How many developers in total are working on the distribution?

     One.

9b.  How many of these developers are working full-time?

     None. This is a hobby.

10.  Is there a packaged or commercial version of your distribution
     for sale? if so, please gives the names and URL's of the
     company or companies that provide it.

     No.

11.  What other Linux distributions do you consider to be
     most similar in design goals and target audience?

     Red Hat GPL edition, Definite Linux

12.  What version of the kernel are you currently shipping?

     2.2.16 in RPM, the latest 2.2.x stable tarball and pre-patch are on
     the Source RPMS

13.  What C libraries are you supporting:

     _ a.out

     _ glibc

     X glibc

     libc5 compat RPMS are also available.

13a.  Which C library is the default for your builds? (Check only one)

     _ a.out

     _ glibc

     X glibc2

14.  How large is your default installation?

     Good question :-) Allow about 800 megs though.

15.  How many packages are provided, including both default and
     optional packages?

     797.

16.  Is there a paid support service available?

     No.

17.  If appropriate, in what area, geographically, are the
     developers and/or company located?

     South-east England.

18.  When was your distribution first made available on the
     Internet?

     It isn't available for download - I don't have that sort of
     bandwidth.

18a. If it is available on CD, when was it first made available on CD?

     February 1999 (ver 5.2)

18c. When was it first publicly announced?

     March 1999

19.  Do you have any documentable statistics on usage that you
     could share?  Such as downloads, commercial box sales, etc.

     I could dig out mail-order CD requests.

20.  Does this distribution conform to the Linux Standards Base
     as published so far or the File Hierarchy Standard?

     I haven't read it :-) But if Red Hat 6.2 does, then so does Eridani.

20a.  If your distribution only partially conforms with the
      LSB/FHS, please describe what portions it conforms with
      and in what instances it does not conform (and why, if
      you wish to give that background).

      As per Red Hat 6.2

21.  Optional Description:

22.  Optional Comments:

23.  Any questions specific to the distribution?