[plug] The same old argument RH vs. Whatever

[Simon Scott]

	Quite simple really: Debian for servers, Mandrake (or maybe RH) for
desktops.... Desktop is more a case of personal taste tho (I use Mandrake).
For servers, if you live in the real world, use Debian. If you have so much
free time you dont know what to do with yourself, use Slackware.

	The problem with other distros for servers (esp. RH) is that it
installs too much by default, and most of it is activated. So you may
install RH onto your server for the purpose of serving http, and before you
know it you have sendmail and a whole heaps of other deamons listening on
ports. A bunch of removes and playing with ipchains later and you have a
servicable unit. 

	The other bad thing about RH is that it is what most people use (for
whatever reason) and therefore I would imagine that 3I337 HaCXoRs would keep
a keen eye on the RH errata list. So you gotta be pretty keen to keep it up
to date. Debian is just "apt-get update;apt-get upgrade" and thats all she
wrote. Put it in a cron script to run every week and you never need worry
about it again.

	The bad things about Debian - it can be a little confusing at first,
esp if you come from a RH/RPM background. Some of the packages arent the
absolute newest (obviously security risks take precendence). But once you
install you have a *really* bare linux setup and can apt-get to your hearts
content to install what you want. Dont use dselect tho, it blows.

	Oh, this raises an interesting question for everyone: I use
rp-pppoe, and supposedly the newest version has major bug fixes as well as
the ability to negotiate MTU values with clients (so you dont have to set
the MTU on every client - hard on a G4 :). But the version on the Debian
servers is the older version. I actually spoke to the package maintainer
about it, and he sent me the newest deb.... but how do I apt-get install a
package sitting in my home dir?

	Ive been waiting for him to upload this thing but it doesnt appear
to be a priority in his life. 

	Another thing: for a long time Ive thought that Linux suffers from
the one thing that makes it so strong: the huge list of apps/daemons etc
that are provided with the distro. It bugs me a little that every distro is
trying to be all things to all men. I mean, hell, who would install Mandrake
on a server? Youd have to be nuts!

	I think there may be a market for a linux distro, perhaps based on
Mandrake, where all the crud is removed and after a full install you are
left with a functioning desktop and a few nice apps. Forget ftpd, apache,
bind, sendmail, dhcpd, 43 different shells, 143 different languages, kernel
source, samba (or maybe install just the client)  etc. But, it seems, noone
is doing this, or are doing it badly. I dont mean it to be a linux distro
for 'newbies', but I guess it would be useful as a distro you could quickly
setup for your mum.... 

	Does anyone else have any thoughts??? Maybe we could start the 'PLUG
Desktop' distro? :)))))





	From:	bp <plug at broometime.com> on 19-04-2001 01:02 AM
	Please respond to plug at plug.linux.org.au@SMTP at Exchange
	To:	PLUG <plug at plug.linux.org.au>@SMTP at Exchange
	cc:	 

	Subject:	[plug] The same old argument   RH vs. Whatever

	Hi Pluggers

	I want to migrate my Freesco box which runs a small web server and
named
	and acts as a router over to a RH or Mandrake or Debian linux
machine.

	>From recents posts I see that RH7 is not actually the most popular
distro
	amongst this ng - as I have allready aquired copies of RH 6.0 and
6.2 and
	7.0 now I feel the urge to try something a bit different which works
well.

	Ok I'll cut to the chase -- which one if any of the distros above
can
	people recommend from their own experiences ?

	I know this has been blatted out b4 and people cringe when they read
"What
	distro is the best"
	however I would like to hear from people who have similar linux
machines
	acting as a firewalled gateway running apache, sendmail, bind, etc
and
	which one is a good performers.

	I just wanna get a feel for what people are having success with and
	enjoying linux.



	Bill




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