[NTLUG:Discuss] Which Server Distro?

[Robert Pearson]

On Fri, Dec 4, 2009 at 10:14 AM, Neil Aggarwal <neil at jammconsulting.com> wrote:
>> I have been very happy with Ubuntu 9.04 on the desktop and the
>> commentary on the upgrade to 9.10 is good.
>
> I have a counter example for this:
>
> I have a laptop that was running Ubuntu 8.04
> which I then upgraded to 9.10 using the automatic
> updates installer.
>
> Now, if I have the computer running and close the
> screen, about half the time the video is blank when
> I reopen it.  I have tried all kinds of key combinations
> to get the screen to display again to no avail.  I have
> to turn the machine off using the power button, which
> I never like to do with a running machine.
>
> I do not know if this was caused by the upgrade or
> if it would exist with a fresh install.  In either
> case, I am wary of upgrades and try to stick to fresh
> installs as much as possible.
>
> Regarding the OP's question, I recommend CentOS for
> all servers.  It is tried and tested.  Never had
> any problems.
>
> Thanks,
>        Neil
>
> --
> Neil Aggarwal, (281)846-8957, http://UnmeteredVPS.net
> Host Joomla!, Wordpress, phpBB, or vBulletin for $25/mo
> Unmetered bandwidth = no overage charges, 7 day free trial
>

My machines are all Desktops.
I have had problems with almost every Linux (and other OS's of all
kinds) when there is a great difference between the version numbers.
Knowing which are major releases and which are minor releases and
which are really minor releases can help with planning an upgrade.
Some you can skip and some you can't. Even on the Desktop. Servers are
even more critical. When I managed a server farm the manufacturers
told us what we could skip. After a little of that feedback you could
read the release notes and figure it out for yourself.

With regard to Ubuntu. I had problems going from 8.04 (skipping 8.10)
to 9.04. The install failed.
I had some problems going from 8.04 to 8.10 on the one desktop until I
got all the updates installed. That desktop upgraded from 8.10 to 9.04
just fine and all the "buggy" symptoms I had with 8.10 went away. I
think 8.10 was a "buggy" release.
On the two machines I upgraded from 8.04 to 9.04 I did a re-install
from CD (DVD?) after the online upgrade failed miserably.
What I read on the mailing lists is not to go with the online upgrade
from 8.04 to 9.10.

I do all my daily updates manually with apt-get update and then
apt-get dist-upgrade rather than apt-get upgrade. I do not know enough
to know if this helps, hurts or has no effect but I have had no
problems since I started doing this. Particularly with PCLinuxOS.

Linux Mint seems to have very few updates.