Crunch time: Debian, Libranet or FC1?

[Mike Reinehr]

Michael,

Your question couldn't have come at a better time for me, as well. I've just 
received three new servers from Monarch Computers which I plan on installing 
& setting up over the next month. So, I'm interested in the answer to this as 
well. My situation includes one additional wrinkle -- all three use AMD 
Opteron processors -- so I would eventually like to be running 64-bit 
software, but it looks as if the AMD64 kernel port is not yet ready for prime 
time.

With regard to your question, in particular, judging by your comment you 
already have some experience with Libranet. I've recently done several 
desktop installs of Libranet and share your opinion. I really like it and 
plan on using it to upgrade my remaining COL3.1 desktops, but I think I will 
be doing a basic Debian Woody install on my servers and then upgrading them 
to a mixed Woody/Sarge system of just the specific packages I'll need.

As far as the Debian package manager, I confess I'm still learning. A few 
hours with the Debian manuals is all you need to get started, by months later 
I'm still puzzling out the finer points of apt-get, aptitude & pinning. Once 
it's set up and working, upgrading and/or installing new software is a snap.

Mike

On Friday 30 April 2004 10:21 am, Michael Hipp wrote:
> 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
>
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Debian 'Sarge': Registered Linux User #241964
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"More laws, less justice." -- Marcus Tullius Ciceroca, 42 BC
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