* Tarun Ramakrishna Elankath (tarun@webkadai.com) [030928 01:19]: > Hi all, > > I suppose this has been asked before on the list, so please pardon me. > > I wish to install Debian and take advantage of its package management > system. However I read that one mustn't try the stable release of Debian > as its very old, and must go for the unstable release instead. Ridiculous. Debian's stable collection of software is not updated for new versions of packages, since changes break stability. Systems set up to rely on certain features might stop working correctly if feature sets change, either by introducing new bugs or just changing behavior slightly, when the old behavior was working just fine. Hence, stable packages are updated only for security updates. Stable won't get newer versions of packages; security fixes are backported to the stable versions by the (awesome) debian security team. But to say that one mustn't use stable is completely ridiculous indeed. > I am now rather confused on whether to download Sid, Woody or Sarge. > > Any help/tips/advice to an intermediate linux user/developer wishing to > install Debian would be much appreciated. If you've never used Debian before and want to avoid a broken system, use stable. You can always decide later, when you feel comfortable being able to fix any breakage that may occur, to upgrade to unstable. Unlike redhat, you can upgrade a debian box. You don't need to re-install. Probably ever. good times, Vineet -- http://www.doorstop.net/ -- I am mortified to be told that, in the United States of America, the sale of a book can become a subject of inquiry, and of criminal inquiry too. -- President Thomas Jefferson
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