Re: [LUG] Starting Debian

[kevin bailey <kev.bailey@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

my 2p

i would say that mandrake/RH install too much and make many settings on 
your behalf without telling you.

slackware is probably the best distro for single purpose servers - web 
server/ cvs server etc.  it is cut down and very fast.

debian is a good balanace between the two - there are some guys on this 
list run businesses based around OSS and they prefer debian.  the 
packages don't get in a dependency twist even after a few years.  also - 
the machines can be made to update their own packages every day.

it is also worth noting that all software packages have to pass through 
debian's strict quality control before they are made avalable in the 
'stable' version.  so whatever you download it will work well.

installation is currently tricky because the current testing version is 
being frozen to the new stable version - but if you go to

www.debian.org

or

www.uk.debian.org

all will be explained.


the best way to install is to install a really minimal installation 
first with just basic networking running and then install any other 
software you want from the debian servers.  i.e. if you want apache you type

apt-get install apache

etc. etc.

kev



Alex Charrett wrote:
> On Sat, 8 Jun 2002, Jonathan Melhuish wrote:
>
>
> > > How might one start trying out Debian?
>
> http://www.linuxemporium.co.uk/ would be a good start.
>
>
> > Heh, I was just going to post a very similar question.  I guess Aaron's 
> > gloating about apt got us started...
>
>
> Yeah I was going to ask about that, last I knew Aaron was a dedicated SuSE 
> user :)
>
>
> > What I specifically wanted to ask, though, is *why* might one try Debian?  In 
> > short, what has Debian got over the Mandrake I know and love?  Anything apart 
> > from apt-get?  Although admittedly the Mandrake Update is, to put it 
> > politely, shite: at least, *I've* never got it working!  (anybody had more 
> > luck?)
>
>
> To be honest, pakage managent is usally the biggest difference between 
> distros, many are rpm based (Red Hat, Mandrake, SuSE) and Debian uses 
> dpkg, to which apt-get is a frontend.
>
> Why else? Debian comes with exim installed (hooray) rather than sendmail 
> (boo his), but if you like nice desktops Mandrake is prob a best bet.
>
> Personally I ran Debian for about a year on my laptop and ended up going 
> to back to Redhat. 
>
> Alex.



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