Re: Why Debian?

[Torsten Hilbrich <Torsten.Hilbrich@bln.de>]

"Gonzalo A. Diethelm" <gonzo@ing.puc.cl> writes:

> Hello all,
> 
> I know this will prove I'm a newbie, but here it is anyway...

Everyone starts as newbie.

> Why should I get Debian rather than other Linux distributions? I
> very much like the idea of contributing to the free software idea,
> but I'd also like to get a functional, feature-loaded and
> maintainable system; in particular, I'd like good migration paths
> for major changes in the Linux architecture as a whole (libc to
> glibc, kernel 2.0 to 2.1, etc.). Would you advise to get Debian
> under these assumptions?

Yes!!  I heard that the a.out->ELF update worked well in Debian system
(no own experience, I started using Debian with 1.2).

I especially like the package management in Debian.  Uninstalling and
upgrading is almost always without any problems (when upgrading from
1.2 to 1.3.1 I had to correct only 2 mistakes made by the upgrading,
one was that the /etc/printcap has been removed by installing an other
spooling software, the other one was that python had problems to
remove itself correctly.  A backup of the /etc tree is always a good
idea before updating your system.

Configuring the software is very easy too.  For example, I installed
smail and leafnode, answered simply questions (such as where I get my
news from, how is my ISP's mailserver named) and got a running system.

Creating own binary package is very easy, just put the all files into
a subdirectory, create a DEBIAN subdirectory, write at least a control
files describing your package.  I use this to migrate the software
formerly installed in /usr/local into the normal debian directories
with the ability to replace older version and to deinstall them
correctly.

        Torsten

-- 
"What a depressingly stupid machine"
                              The Restaurant at the End of the Universe
PGP Public Key is available


--
TO UNSUBSCRIBE FROM THIS MAILING LIST: e-mail the word "unsubscribe" to
debian-user-request@lists.debian.org . 
Trouble?  e-mail to templin@bucknell.edu .