[lug] distribution favorites?

[Collins Richey]

On 11/10/06, Daniel Webb <lists at danielwebb.us> wrote:

> Is there any other distro where you can not upgrade for 2 years yet get
> security updates?  That's one of the big advantages I see with Debian stable.
> There are a few packages that get too old, and I install them from the
> backports archive.  But mostly, I don't care that bind is 2 years old.  What
> new features have been added to bind in the last 2 years that I need?  Same
> thing with 95% of the packages I use.
>

Ubuntu 6.06 LTS - 7 years (starting about 8 months back)  security
updates. There may be some backport activity as well, but I haven't
checked that out since I like 6.10 better.

> > Once again, you'll spend a lot of front end time getting everything
> > working right for any distribution.
>
> That makes it sound like all distros are similarly easy to setup, and that's
> just not the case.  Ubuntu seems to be getting good press as far as hardware
> detection and so on.  I know for a fact that in the last 5 years Knoppix had
> significantly better and easier hardware detection and support than a stock
> Debian install because I have used both extensively.  All distros are
> definitely not the same in this area.

Never intended to say this. Ubuntu, Debian, and Knoppix are among the
easiest to install. We could go round and round about which one is
better. Ubuntu is good enough and modern enough, so that's what I've
settled on.

>
> > For a desktop system I (and most other non-commercial users on the
> > planet) would prefer something a little less long in the tooth than
> > Debian stable. At work I support Engineers (embedded code developers)
> > who are still getting useful work done on ancient RH9 systems, but no
> > home user would want something that old.
>
> I don't agree with that either.  Most non-nerd home users have no idea that
> they're using old software.  My mom would still be using Windows 98 if I
> hadn't installed Linux on her computer (she barely knows the difference).
> Another older friend is using a 8 year old Mac.  Only nerds care that they
> have Firefox 2.0.1 when it comes out.  Most people just buy a computer and use
> it until it's so clogged with spyware and crap that they buy a new one (unless
> it's a Mac, in which case they buy a new one when it's too slow or the
> hardware fails).
>

Could be true for some computer-illiterate users, but I still think
that you would be doing them a disservice by offering an ancient
version of Linux, nerd that I am. Just think of the usability
improvements - USB support, printers, scanners, etc. that have come
our way. Fortunately, Linux users are not going to get clogged with
spyware and crap if the vulnerability holes are plugged.


-- 
Collins Richey
     If you fill your heart with regrets of yesterday and the worries
     of tomorrow, you have no today to be thankful for.