Which Distro for a Server?

[Alma J Wetzker]

David A. Bandel wrote:
> On Sat, 13 Mar 2004 11:16:06 -0600
> Alma J Wetzker <almaw at ieee.org> wrote:
> 
> 
>>>Please help me list,
>>>
>>>I just stepped into something warm and smelly and need to figure out
>>>how to get my shoe clean without getting my hands dirty.
>>>
>>>I belong to the student chapter of IEEE.  It looks like I will be the
>>>next linux admin for the group.  Our main box with all the home
>>>directories and login scripts for linux and Windoze is on this box. 
>>>It is a Debian system and appears to be badly mangled or just plain
>>>broken.  (apt-get is no longer able to update several packages, we
>>>cannot get a new kernel to work on the system 2.4.18 current)  (The
>>>sysadmins who put the box together [all graduated] still constantly
>>>tweak the box and don't want it changed, AT ALL.)
> 
> 
> First, who is the senior (meaning _the_ guy responsible for the system)
> admin?  You or one of the graduates?

If it breaks, they will come looking for me.  That being the case, I will have 
FULL control over the box or they can beg these graduates to come back and do 
it.  I will not play some silly political thing to placate someones ego.
> 
> 
>>>Is there a way to bring back a more vanilla debian experience?  If I
>>>need to wipe and reinstall the box, what distribution should I use? 
>>>(This is a critical system!)  This system needs to be in a condition
>>>that it can be handed off yearly and the new admin can pick up the job
>>>without significant pain.  (School is hard enough.)
> 
> 
> No wipe is necessary.  Let's take a quick look at the
> /etc/apt/sources.list and put together something sane.  Then just a good
> update should do it.  The easiest distro to maintain is Debian. 
> Brain-dead simple.

That is what I heard about debian, but I have no experience with it beyond 
knoppix.  I am scared because no one has been able to update the kernel.
> 
> 
>>>Suggestions and comments welcome.
> 
> 
> If you're in charge, take charge.  If you're not, then refuse to play
> ball.  You won't satisfy everyone, but you should satisfy yourself.

Agreed.
> 
> Ciao,
> 
> David A. Bandel


     -- Alma