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

[Jeff Hinrichs]

Phil Brutsche said:
> 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
So, does your system email you when new errata fixes are available?  Can
you log in to a single interface and check the package status of all of
your servers?  Can you schedule your package upgrades?

> 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!
I only run the services that are needed on a server.  So, I don't have any
"3rd" party RPM problems.

> 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...
Point taken.  up2date won't move you up a release.  and release upgrades
from CD are not as suave as they need to be.  Often installs stuff you
don't want so you end up having to remove lots of unneeded packages.

> 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.
(Knocking on wood) I've not experienced this in the past 3 years.

> 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?
This is cool, however my employer doesn't currently run anything besides
intel so for my business purposes this is a +0.

> 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...
You are referring to apt v. up2date?  Any other examples?  (Lips moving
silently as in prayer)

>  > 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.
Wouldn't that be more a function of the packager?  Or by using apt do I
get +10 karma?

-Jeff