Re: Why choose Debian on server

[Miles Fidelman <mfidelman@meetinghouse.net>]

> On 1/2/19 2:51 AM, Alessandro Baggi wrote:
> > Hi list,
> > I'm new to this list and I'm choosing the right distribution for 
> > server needs. I hope that I'm not OT and don't want start a flame. 
> > I'm evaluating the possibility to switch on debian so I hope you will 
> > give your experiences about this topic.
> >
> > At the moment I'm using CentOS 7 on server and workstation but very 
> > old software, add third repos for get some software, use unmaintained 
> > software where patchs are released by dev distro team, big changes 
> > between a current release and next release, big corporation piloted 
> > distro, waiting that rh release a security patches and then 
> > recompiled on centos, problem on new hardware, unable to install new 
> > software from source due to old libs get me bored, and frustated in 
> > the last year. I like flexibility and I noticed that centos chains my 
> > knowledge.
> >
> > Today seems that RH Family is the standard and rh is more supported 
> > by software vendors. Considering 10 years of support, Selinux working 
> > out of the box, stability, enteprise class and free distro..user 
> > choose Centos with the perception that things work better because all 
> > is "followed" by a corporation. With this assumption users feel more 
> > secure and unfailing.

Traditionally, Red Hat (CentOS) and Debian  aimed primarily at servers - 
dating back to a time when server were the only place one ran Linux (if 
you were running Unix on a desktop, you probably had a Sun 
Workstation).  Graphical desktops came in with newer distros.  Suse also 
falls in this category.

These days, Red Hat has strong support, precisely because it's a 
commercial, supported product, and the primary distro used by large 
government & corporate users (outside of IBM and Oracle customers, who 
have their own distros).  If you're running Linux on a production 
server, it's probably Red Hat. CentOS is the free version.  Debian has 
been popular with those of us who don't like Red Hat's way of doing things.

Today, as I face some upgrade issues of my own, I'm really not so sure.  
All of the debacle around systemd, and some of the recent politics, has 
made me far less comfortable that Debian will remain a stable platform - 
and I'm seriously considering migrating to either Gentoo or a BSD platform.

Miles Fidelman


--
In theory, there is no difference between theory and practice.
In practice, there is.  .... Yogi Berra