[luau] Which Distribution To Go With

[Tom_Gordon/RISE/HIDOE at notes.k12.hi.us]

Mandrake is just a shittier version of Red Hat.  I've not used the 
drake-fly distro because of it's insistence that web-based GUI are 
acceptable means for system administration.  Did you know Mandrake was 
once just a modified version of Red Hat Linux?

SuSe is fine if you like lengthy install processes, and bugged config 
scripts.  Too much salt for my butter.  They are also stingy with 
downloadable ISOs.

Debian is the biggest waste of storage space known to man.  8 CDs!  Mostly 
crappy, useless, abandoned applications.  If you want to use the 2.4* 
kernel it's all the way on CD3!?  Also the user-interface is NOT for the 
easily confused.

I like the Slackware Live CD because it's small but it's too light-weight 
for personal computing.

Gentoo is cool if you like using high-end peripheral support ala custom 
binary driver packages and prefer your packages to be compiled by you 
(FreeBSD style). 

The BEST distribution if you are doubting Red Hat Linux user is Fedora. It 
has an ergonomic update & install process.  The up2date/RHN applet has 
been revamped to support public distribution points (no more "you are not 
a priority customer" errors woo!).  It also feature many 2.6 kernel 
features in it's 2.4.22-based kernel.

Red Hat is sponsoring Fedora as their bases for development and future 
RHEL releases.  They will not support it, just sponsor and develop for it. 
 Fedora is the new Red Hat Linux as you have know it financially.  But 
some things are different it how it is versioned, released, updated and 
maintained.  It is much more Debian-like in it's package management dept., 
thanks to Warren, so really i see no need to want Debian.  As for the 
particulars, it is best to read the site: http://fedora.redhat.com

I've updated three RH9 boxes to Fedora test3 with no problems in 
upgrading.  The release-version "Fedora Core 1" should be released bu the 
end of this week.

Anything less would be uncivilized,
Tom





"John Johnson" <jsj at amagata.com>
Sent by: luau-admin at videl.ics.hawaii.edu
11/03/03 08:24 PM
Please respond to luau

 
        To:     <luau at videl.ics.hawaii.edu>
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        Subject:        [luau] Which Distribution To Go With


Hmm...I just got the email from Red Hat today stating that my free
distribution will reach its end-of-life in the next quarter. Not being
aware of the current RH prices, I went over to the site to look at how
much a low-end subscription would run. It seems starting prices are
$349. Since I am running a couple personal and a couple charity sites, I
can't afford to shell out that kind of cash every year. So I guess it's
time to go distribution shopping again. Any suggestions? I have heard a
lot of people mention Debian. The only other distribution I ever used
was Slackware back in the early to mid 90s. Thanks for any input you can
give...

--John

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