discuss: Production use distribution? ---Re: [olug] Linux sysadmin position

[Phil Brutsche]

Brian Wiese wrote:
 > My question:  What are your opinions and preferences on a GNU/Linux
 > distribution for use in a production environment and why?  Would you
 > recommend a specific distro for a business?

Debian.  Why?

1) APT.  It's hard to beat "apt-get install apache php4" and get 90% of
    what's needed to run a webmail package.  RedHat's native mechanism:
    - Can't load stuff off the CD/a local mirror: wtf where they
      thinking?
    - requires you to register
2) Package quality.  Have you seen some of the RPMs out there?  yuck!
    Have you tried updating some of those 3rd party RPMs?  yuck again!
3) APT, reason #2: Ever tried upgrading RH 6.2 to RH 7.3?  On the fly?
    Without booting the install CD?  I've done it with Debian 2.0 "hamm"
    (RH 5.x vintage) installations, upgrading them to Debian 3.0 "woody".
    I should try it with Debian 1.1 one of these days...
4) Package quality #2: Ever tried applying RH errata to a machine?
    Remember what I said about the quality of 3rd party RPMs?  RH isn't
    necessarily much better with their own RPMs.
5) Debian runs on more machine types than RedHat.  Period.  Where's
    RedHat for: PowerPC, Alpha, SPARC32/64, Acorn RISC (aka StrongARM),
    68k Macs, the Dreamcast, HP's HP-PA RISC machines?

Specific distro for a business?  Depends on the situation & 
requirements.  If you need Orcale, for example, you use the version of 
RedHat Linux they specify, which isn't necessarily the latest and greatest.

 > I feel a GNU/Linux sysadmin should 'know' how to configure/admin a
 > GNU/Linux system - not just a Redhat, Mandrake or Debian one... and
 > definately that any distro could be customized just as well to meet a
 > specific need.

Amen!  You have *no* idea how aggravating it is to work someone who only
knows RedHat specific tools.  They should pray I don't get a chance to
admin one of their machines...

 > So, what are the arguments for choosing a production/business
 > GNU/Linux distro.... besides system administrator preference?  (of
 > which is more manageable/easier to use?)  Some preferences:
 > - ease of use, administration, management, control over system
 > - package management preference
 > - default install/customization of system

You forgot one: package quality.

PS: I rag on RH because it's the only other major distribution I have
experience with.

-- 

Phil Brutsche
phil at brutsche.us