Re: [gentoo-user] [OT] Binary install distro

[Florian Philipp <lists@binarywings.net>]

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Am 13.11.2011 19:26, schrieb Mick:
> On Sunday 13 Nov 2011 10:45:46 Lorenzo Bandieri wrote:
>>> One more question.  What is a easy to install but WELL tested and STABLE
>>> binary distro?  I'm thinking something that needs a update 2 or 3 times a
>>> year or something.
>>
>> If you want a *really* well tested and *really* stable linux binary
>> distro, Debian stable is your friend :D
>>
>> I have a debian install on my home desktop (used by my sister and my
>> parents); I choosed debian basically because I didn't wanted to
>> bother: I just wanted to install and update once in a while. I'm
>> really happy with it.
>>
>> Pros:
>> - stable
>> - tested
>> - once configured, requires minimal maintenance. Basically, all you
>> have to do is apt-get update && apt-get upgrade once in while. It'll
>> install only security fixes. No headaches, no massive breakage or
>> something. At least, this is my experience.
>>  - easy and fast installation
>>
>> Cons:
>> - softwares tend to be outdated on stable. On my debian stable I have
>> Gnome 2.30.2, Firefox (iceweasel) 3.5.16, OpenOffice 3.2.1... Consider
>> that debian stable versions are released, on average, every two years.
>> - debian has its own way to do things. I had to get used to it...
>> - the default DE is gnome; if you want kde you have to install
>> yourself, and, needless to say, it is not the last version [1]
>>
>> The biggest cons about debian stable is outdated software... If you
>> can cope with it/it is not a priority, give it a try.
>>
>> Otherwise, the previous suggestions (Ubuntu, Kubuntu, OpenSUSE etc)
>> are all good choiches - stable, tested, up-to-date.
>>
>> [1] http://packages.debian.org/en/squeeze/kde-full
> 
> From what I've come across Ubuntu seems to be the only distro that has 
> automatic upgrades - i.e. some sort of script which will upgrade your distro 
> to the next version without having to completely reinstall.  I think I've been 
> through one such upgrade cycle without any breakage.  Gentoo it ain't, but on 
> the other hand I value this seamless upgrade of Ubuntu as one of its plusses 
> compared to other distros which require a re-installation.

Scientific Linux (and probably all other RHEL clones) can do this, too.
At least for updates of the minor version number (5.6 -> 5.7, for example).

This is more or less a middle ground: Between minor versions, binary
compatibility is (mostly?) ensured, especially for libraries and runtime
environments (great if you still need a python-2.4 installation with
regular security fixes). Older major numbers are also still released and
maintained after the next major update happened (e.g. 5.7 was released
after 6.0), therefore you can update at your own convenience.

Regards,
Florian Philipp


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