Crunch time: Debian, Libranet or FC1?

[Michael Hipp]

I need to build a new server for a client. Primary app for now will just 
be Samba but later PostgreSQL. Hardware will be a P4 with dual SCSI 
mirrored. This client is smallish, but they would be out of business in 
no time if this system doesn't "just run".

Until now, I always just used the latest version of RHL for a server 
distro, but that is all changed. Please offer me your opinions and any 
pros/cons you can think of...

- I'm by far more familiar with Red Hat than anything else.

- The stability of Debian is legendary. But some of the software is 
ancient and I don't know how stable the unstable repository is. And 
security updates are generally unavailable for unstable.

- Libranet is a jewel, but it is not intended as a server distro.

- FC1 is easy, familiar and up to date; but would I be crazy to use it 
for a production server (even a small one)?

- Do I just need to bite the bullet and learn Debian?

- Is there any good reason to continue to think of Debian as an 
intimidating/difficult distro?

{Here's some unscientific data ... Went down to Books-A-Million in 
Little Rock. The book rack for "Operating Systems" had (16) items that 
mention Red Hat right in the title and several others that are based on 
Red Hat but don't say so in the title, (2) items that have SUSE in the 
title and (1) about Debian. Is staying with the "leader" still the best 
choice?}

Opinions please ...

Thanks,
Michael