[sf-lug] Looking at Clearlinux

[Rick Moen]

Quoting Ken Shaffer (kenshaffer80 at gmail.com):

[Clear Linux:]

>   The major discomfort with Clearlinux is the totally different way of
> configuring things.  An /etc directory which is basically empty is jarring.

Clear Linux is one of those software-religion-cult things.  This is from
some guy who basically hates the entire idea of the Unix file tree.  So, 
when you install a piece of software, it does so as a 'bundle', by which
I gather everything associated with that package gets filed together
rather than (as in the traditional model) the libs going where all libs
go, the executables going where all executables go, etc.  (Some other
non-'bundle' software gets installed from 'flatpak' packages.)[1]  It
follows from that weird-ass contrarian design that _nothing is in the
usual place_ -- i.e., you look in vain for /boot/*, /etc/default/*, 

It's also a rolling distribution defaulting to GNOME3, which is a
bizarre combination of things, IMO.  Last I heard, it was basically a
research project of some kind.

>   It's just a learning experience for now, but an uncomfortable look at
> what a "rationalized" linux might look like.

Rationalized:  Means you cannot find anything.  ;->

The propaganda^W published materials claim that the aim of Clear Linux
is 'superior performance' resulting from separately managing application
software from the core system.  Unfortunately, reviews have so far
suggested that their aim of superior performance has, to understate the
case a bit, not yet been achieved.

Recent review also casts some light on one of your reported problems:


[1] Kind of a sop to the cloud-centric 'container' crowd who love Docker,
etc.