Re: Debian or Ubuntu?
On Fri, May 09, 2008 at 12:30:43PM -0400, Tenant wrote:
> Debian Sarge. Some people we know have suggested we take a look at
> Ubuntu, which is based on Debian. Is there anywhere a balanced
Disclaimer: I'm a Debian user, not an Unbuntoid (or whatever they call
themselves). While there's an Ubuntu Server Edition, the things to think
about are:
- Ubuntu's claim to fame is its focus on the desktop and 6-month
release cycles. Neither is really a good idea for server-centric
stuff.
- Ubuntu applications are essentially a subset of what's available
in sid at whatever point in time they take their snapshot.
That said, the Ubuntu folks often have fixes for things that have been
languishing on the Debian bug tracker for a gazillion years, and you can
always buy support from Canonical.
That said, my personal opinion is that you should run commercial servers
on Debian stable, with the (very) occasional must-have package imported
from sid. Unless you need the commercial support, the stability of Etch
is probably your best bet. And, since Ubuntu is based on Debian, why use
it unless it's for the commercial support?
In the end, though, a distro is a distro. Some make it easier to do
certain things than others "out of the box," and some of the commercial
distros have non-free software that makes life (theoretically) simpler
in the short term, but with few exceptions you can make any distro do
anything you want if you apt/yum/compile enough.
YMMV. A lot.
--
"Oh, look: rocks!"
-- Doctor Who, "Destiny of the Daleks"
Reply to: