I'm converting!!!!

[Collins Richey]

On 5/27/07, David Bandel <david.bandel at gmail.com> wrote:
> On 5/26/07, Collins Richey <crichey at gmail.com> wrote:
> > On 5/26/07, Ken Moffat <kmoffat at drizzle.com> wrote:
> > > Collins Richey wrote:
> > > >
> > > > And yes, if you're having a problem with peripherals on an older
> > > > Ubuntu, the appropriate response is: get a newer Ubuntu.
> > > >
> > > >
> > > A bit OT, but ....
> > > A warning: On newer Ubuntu update managers, there is a button to upgrade
> > > to the newest version. ie. 6.10 to 7.04. However, judging from forum
> > > posts, there are many failures, resulting in nonbootable systems. I
> > > crashed my old laptop, resulting in a reinstall.
> >
> > Not too surprising. Almost every distro has an upgrade procedure that
> > MAY work, but they only guarantee that you get to keep all the pieces.
> >
>
> Ah the joys of Debian. I've only had trouble back in the libc5->glibc6
> and aout to elf upgrades, and then only on two of several machines.  I
> have a couple of systems that have been upgrading in place for years,
> including hardware, etc.  Not reinstalled Debian in ... well, a _very_
> long time.  Lots of cruft on these systems, let me tell you.
>
> This is how it should work always.
>

I have a love/hate relationship with both Ubuntu and Debian. Only
personalities like ESR and RMS can tolerate the true Debianite -
active and voluble hatred of all commercial software and open
antagonism towards those less proficient with *nix software then they
themselves. In spite of the attitude, Debian has produced remarkably
reliable software.

Ubuntu does a good job of smoothing out the Debian unstable offering,
but they have dropped the Debian incremental software upgrade process
(I agree, David, this is the best there is) in favor of starting over
every six months with bleeding edge crap that will not run properly
for a few months. Instead of making that a basis for a truly great
ongoing product, they abandon the new release and start over again
with the bleeding edge crap. Or, they take the Red Hat approach with
an LTS release that is guaranteed to be ancient within months of
release.

I was all ready to cut over to a Debian Etch/Testing system. Most of
the stuff is pretty much equivalent to what I have with Ubuntu Feisty.
But then I discovered that Etch had settled for a moderately ancient
kernel that would not recognize my sound card (Alsa improvements
always lag behind everything else in kernel land). So I bailed out. I
don't have the energy to go looking for a kernel that will work but
not screw up everything else.

Ubuntu does have its advantages. In a couple of months, I'll probably
put up the Ubuntu development release when the early breakage has been
repaired.

-- 
Collins Richey
     If you fill your heart with regrets of yesterday and the worries
     of tomorrow, you have no today to be thankful for.