Re: Packages grow, no longer fit on a 💾

[Akib Azmain Turja <akib@disroot.org>]

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Csepp <raingloom@riseup.net> writes:

[...]

>>> It strikes me that this is like King Canute holding back the
>>> tide. Package size growth is pretty inevitable, and even if work now
>>> can bring the size down to that of a CD, the same problem will occur
>>> in the not too distant future.
>>>
>>
>> But we should really try to keep them low.
>>
>>> Is it really a problem?
>>
>> YES!!!!!!!!!
>>
>> Big packages means, it takes more space.  If a package grows by 700 MB,
>> installed on 10,000 computers, ~70 TB (70,000,000 MB) is wasted.  You
>> could use that precious storage to save your dad's photo, your favorite
>> music, your child's video calling you "daddy/mummy" for the first time,
>> etc.  You would need to get more storage for that storing those
>> invaluable things, so you would need more storage devices.  When you buy
>> more storage, the demand of increases, and therefore the manufacturing
>> of storage devices increase.  The more devices are manufactured, the
>> more carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emission.
>>
>> Again, if the packages is downloaded 100 times every day, ~70 GB (70000
>> MB) of bandwidth is wasted every day.  Someone on the network could use
>> that to do some more important thing, like video calling a relative
>> living far away.  Moreover, it takes time to get the extra 700 MB for
>> everyone.  Assuming it takes 8 minutes on average, ~13.33 hours (800
>> minutes) of time is wasted everyday.  We have limited time in our lives,
>> we shouldn't waste the time.  This extra ~70 GB of transmission means
>> more load on the network, more load on the network devices, and
>> therefore more power consumption.  The more power consumption, the more
>> greenhouse gas emission, since we're fossil fuel dependent.  If your
>> country uses nuclear power, the extra nuclear waste is a threat for the
>> environment.
>>
>> The more greenhouse gas, the more greenhouse effect, the more global
>> warming, the more climate change.  You will just destroy the earth for
>> future yourself and the future generation.  What will you answer to
>> them?
>>
>>> Please educate me! :)
>>
>> It's my pleasure to make someone aware.
>> I hope this was enough.  :)
>> If not, just ask!
>>
>>>
>>> --
>>> Paul
>>>
>>>
>
> Well said.  Gonna add to this that developers are overwhelmingly from
> privileged backgrounds.  Just because we don't have a lot of users on
> the mailing list who have to use satellite internet on ancient laptops
> does not mean those (potential) users are not out there and wouldn't
> benefit from our distro not being a bloated mess.  Which sadly it kind
> of is currently.  I wholeheartedly recommend trying to use it on an old
> netbook or an armhf device from time to time.
> Like others have said: if you want to develop efficient software, use a
> slow machine.  :)

I have a slow machine from about 10 years ago, and I'm really happy with
it.  (I'm writing from this machine.)  I also have a slow unstable
internet connection, so I understand the pain of download hundreds of
MB of data without pause and resume support.  (I couldn't download the
latest Guix GNU/Hurd QEMU image (just around 293 MB maybe?) even trying
8-10 times.)

-- 
Akib Azmain Turja, GPG key: 70018CE5819F17A3BBA666AFE74F0EFA922AE7F5
Fediverse: akib@hostux.social
Codeberg: akib
emailselfdefense.fsf.org | "Nothing can be secure without encryption."

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