Re: Debian as a server.
> :Stability is certainly a large concern of mine since
> :I really don't want to have to baby sit the thing much once it is set
> :up. As long as other folks don't get in and screw with it, I don't
> :see that that is much to ask.
I set up my first "dial-on-demand" internet "router" for my LAN here at
work about 6 months ago. It's an old 486DX/33 (that nobody wanted...) with
8MB RAM, a 200MB IDE HD, and a Kingston NE2000-compatible NIC. Oh, and
running Debian GNU/Linux 1.2.x.... <grin>
The success story here is that, other than a power outage (62 days ago
according to "uptime"), I've never had to restart the thing. It sits in my
server room with nothing but a power, serial (to USR Sportster), and UTP
cable attached. No keyboard, monitor, mouse, etc.
This box was my first project of this type, so it took some work; however,
with lots of help from the list here (thanks to all!!!!), I got everything
going over about a month or so (actual time about 50 hours, I think).
(Note, I started this project with lots of prior (SCO) Unix experience, so
the using the OS itself wasn't a problem for me.)
I gotta say, I can't shut up about how well this box works for me. It's
the one I pay the least attention to on my network now. The only time I
even think about it is when I receive an e-mail message from it each
morning reporting the previous days usage stats for my LAN users (via a
shell script I wrote). If only I could say the same for the dozens of
Windoze 95, NT, and Netware machines on my networks.... :-)
Anyway, like you mentioned: I don't think you can go wrong with Linux.
The support is some of the best I've seen (and free too!!!!), the software
availability (packaged quite nicely, despite the whining of dpkg/dselect
critics), the quality and quantity (and price) of documentation is second
to none, the wide array of supported hardware, and the OS itself all lend
themselves to an easy decision on your part.... Go with Debian GNU/Linux.
Kudos to Jens, Tim, Nils, Bruce, Shaya, Philippe, and all the rest I can't
think of off the top of my head.... <grin> Thanks to all for your help.
Later,
Kevin Traas
Systems Analyst
Edmondson Roper CA
http://www.eroper.bc.ca
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