On Sat, Jan 25, 2003 at 11:01:08AM +0100, Adrian Bunk wrote:
> On Sat, Jan 25, 2003 at 12:39:32AM -0800, Osamu Aoki wrote:
> I'm currently subscribed to the German Debian user list and it happens
> that people tell _novice users_ things like:
>
> Yes, Debian stable is horribly outdated, but with apt pinning you get
> the latest software.
>
> A user who doesn't really know what he's doing should _never_ leave
> stable.
...
> If someone else wants to run unstable because he says he learns much
> about his system while trying to cope with the breakages he knows what
> he's doing, too.
>
> But it's really wrong if people tell novice users to use apt pinning to
> get more recent software.
Well, that is exactly the value of people like you to back port packages
and selectively upgrade key packages and to offer them as apt-getable
archive :-)
Anyway, it may be good idea to put something like following in Debian
web site to reduce this type of confusion.
==========================================================================
What Debian is best for me?
Debian is available in 3 major flavors - stable, testing, and unstable -
for practically all CPU architectures. Here is a guideline for the choice.
+------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| | | Recommended | |
| User type | Criteria | Debian | Note |
| | | Flavor | |
|---------------+---------------+-------------+--------------------------|
| | First time | | You have much to learn |
| | using Debian | stable + | before playing with the |
| Total Newbie | with no | security | testing flavor. Buy a CD |
| | previous | fixes | set of the stable |
| | GNU/Linux | | version. |
| | experience. | | |
|---------------+---------------+-------------+--------------------------|
| | | | Learn how to use |
| | First time | | Debian-specific things |
| | using Debian | stable + | first with a small |
| Debian Newbie | with good | security | install to become a |
| | previous | fixes | Power User. Please do |
| | GNU/Linux | | not think about |
| | experience. | | downloading big |
| | | | ISO-images. |
|---------------+---------------+-------------+--------------------------|
| | | | Watch the release cycle |
| | Experienced | | and use APT pinning. |
| | Debian user | testing | Prepare to get your |
| | who wants to | (unstable, | hands dirty with package |
| Power User | run latest | stable, | bugs. Read at least |
| | version of | security | "debian-devel-announce |
| | GNU/Linux | fixes) | at lists.debian.org". |
| | desktop. | | Most people belong here |
| | | | :-) |
|---------------+---------------+-------------+--------------------------|
| | Debian user | | |
| | who needs to | stable + | If you need the latest |
| | have a | security | packages, backport them |
| Professional | rock-solid | fixes (may | from the source, |
| User | Debian server | use testing | unstable, or testing by |
| | in the | only after | yourself. |
| | production | freeze) | |
| | environment. | | |
|---------------+---------------+-------------+--------------------------|
| | Debian user | | |
| | who wants to | | |
| | be a Debian | any flavor | Do not expose yourself |
| DD Wannabee | Developer and | but with | to unnecessary risks. |
| | needs an | chroot | pbuilder is your friend. |
| | unstable | unstable | |
| | flavor | | |
| | environment. | | |
|---------------+---------------+-------------+--------------------------|
| | | | Have fun with broken |
| | | | glibc, bash, ... :-) |
| | | | Sh--t happens every few |
| | | | months. Read |
| | Debian user | | "debian-devel-announce |
| | who refuses | | at lists.debian.org" and |
| Debian | to lag behind | unstable | "debian-devel at |
| Diehard | the bleeding | | lists.debian.org". |
| | edge. | | (Having said this, it is |
| | | | quite usable if you know |
| | | | what you are doing. It |
| | | | is much easier than |
| | | | compiling everything by |
| | | | yourself.) |
+------------------------------------------------------------------------+
--
~\^o^/~~~ ~\^.^/~~~ ~\^*^/~~~ ~\^_^/~~~ ~\^+^/~~~ ~\^:^/~~~ ~\^v^/~~~ +++++
Osamu Aoki <osamu@debian.org> Cupertino CA USA, GPG-key: A8061F32
.''`. Debian Reference: post-installation user's guide for non-developers
: :' : http://qref.sf.net and http://people.debian.org/~osamu
`. `' "Our Priorities are Our Users and Free Software" --- Social Contract
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