* Johannes Wiedersich <johannes@physik.blm.tu-muenchen.de> [080219 11:56]:
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Andrius wrote:
Is it really good idea to move to Lenny from Etch?
If you want a stable system without constantly evolving software, stay
with etch.
I have been running "testing" -- and sometimes "unstable" -- since I
began with Debian, about seven years ago. I am NOT a Linux guru.
I have experienced a few problems with "unstable", but I hardly ever
have a problem with "testing".
I upgrade almost daily (whenever the "software available" icon appears
in the gnome panel). To my delight, Debian just keeps getting better
and better, with little improvements becoming apparent almost week by
week. For example, CUPS in Lenny now works better than ever, and
almost all of the small annoyances which CUPS once presented have
disappeared. When I have occasion to run Etch, I find that I miss
features which have been incorporated into Lenny.
I advise the new user whose system is not "mission critical" to run
"testing" (Lenny), in order to have benefit of the many small
improvements. In my experience, problems with Lenny are few and far
between. And when problems arise, they soon are fixed. And this
Debian users list is a marvelous resource whenever problems do arise.
Moreover, the neophyte is coming to Debian from Window$ -- an
environment in which the "blue screen of death" is a VERY common
occurrence. With respect to stability, Debian "testing" is far
preferable to ANY release of Window$.
If you think that etch is missing *a lot of* bleeding edge software and
if you would like to help the developers by testing new software, than
you should consider upgrading to lenny or sid.
Not so! If you wish to help the developers, you should be running
"unstable".
More than anything, the "testing" distribution is an insurance policy
-- "just in case" a bug slipped through.
RLH