[ale] Debian 3.0 as a server platform?

James Sumners james.sumners at gmail.com
Thu Jun 2 08:35:31 EDT 2005


On 6/2/05, Geoffrey <esoteric at 3times25.net> wrote:
> Robert L. Harris wrote:
> >
> > I concur completely.  As I posted previously, we run 750+ servers on
> > Debian Stable because taht way we don't have to run regression tests on
> > every app every week to keep it "up to date" but we know it's stable and
> > secure, exactly what I want on my server.
> 
> I can say the same for SuSE or Red Hat.  The main difference I see is
> how far behind the standard 'stable' Debian install is.  I suspect it's
> more to do with the fact that it's an all volunteer distro, but yet,
> Slackware is ahead of Debian with the packages it provides.

Why do you need bleeding edge packages on your server? Do you not
prefer known working, secure, packages?

I have used all the distributions you mention (Slackware not so much
though). None of them are as easy to maintain as a Debian stable box.
In fact, I wrote a script to check for new updates daily and emails me
when they need to be applied. Applying those updates is as simple as
logging in via ssh and running on command -- `apt-get upgrade`. Since
I wrote the script about six months ago it has only emailed me twice;
I even have two backports set up, one for bittorrent [useless now] and
one for awstats [hardly ever used].

I just don't buy the "Debian is too slow" line when the talk is about
a server environment.


-- 
James Sumners
http://james.roomfullofmirrors.com/

"All governments suffer a recurring problem: Power attracts
pathological personalities. It is not that power corrupts but that it
is magnetic to the corruptible. Such people have a tendency to become
drunk on violence, a condition to which they are quickly addicted."

Missionaria Protectiva, Text QIV (decto)
CH:D 59



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