Re: Why choose Debian?
>"Steve R. Hastings" wrote:
> >I am interested in why people prefer Debian to other Linux
> >distributions. Please explain the top few reasons why you chose Debian
> >rather than something else.
(This is also some kind of a rant, read at own risk, see below for
major points)
2.5 years ago I got a job as a network engineer and all of my
colleagues used two boxes, my boss explained it "windows for
compatibility, unix for productivity". One of the sysadmins set up a
linux box for me (not based on any distribution, but completely
handcrafted) and gradually as I learned more I started doing more and
more of my work with it.
Package management being an unknown issue on the box I had a *very*
steep learning curve, but after some near-disasters (mostly involving
libc-upgrades) I thought about the package-management issue and
installed SuSe on my home machine. After one or two weeks I stumbled
across the Debian website, read about the DFSG and immediately liked it.
Administering the SuSe box was a nightmare anyway, so I nuked it and
installed Debian (slink). Some weeks later I installed Debian on my
private webserver and another few weeks after on my workstation, too.
In the meantime I´m the primary helpline for some new colleagues and
urge them to install Debian, but some simply like the colorful SuSe
approach and install SuSe and/or Redhat anyway, so I have to cope with
them, too. But Debian is clearly my favourite choice:
- Clear software guideline, DFSG, but with a practical approach, see
the non-free/non-US sections
- Superior package-management, heck, even libc-upgrades working
flawlessly
- very strict filesystem-layout and
- also strict setup of the init-scripts and config-files in /etc
- (nearly) instant security updates via security.debian.org, this is
*very* convenient for production machines. Not a single exploit
exploited in 1.5 years now <crossing fingers> ;)
- active and helpful mailing lists, even for rather mysterious and/or
exotic problems
- I can see the Hurd on the horizon, not approaching very fast, but
steadily
- not depending on rather magical tools like SuSeconfig and
- never ever messing around with my config files without asking first
and even then backing up the old version
- clear and funtional bug-reporting system
- intelligent policy regarding stable (,testing) and unstable releases
with the option to run unstable packages on otherwise stable systems
- small-footprint systems hasslefree possible, install base and apt-get
only what you really need
just my 2 (EUR-) cents,
&rw
--
/ Ing. Robert Waldner | Network Engineer | T: +43 1 89933 F: x533 \
\ <Waldner@KPNQwest.at> | KPNQwest/AT | Diefenbachg. 35, A-1150 /
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