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<DIV> Wow, lots of questions today.
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<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>I divide Linux distributions into two main categories: Servers and Workstations.
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<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>For a server class system, you need stability and security. This means prompt
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<DIV>minor-version updates but slow major-version updates. It also means a lengthy
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<DIV>support cycle. I recommend SUSE Linux Enterprise Server, Red Hat Enterprise
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<DIV>Server, and CentOS -- in that order.
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<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>I do not recommend debian for servers, as I distrust the "combine packaging
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<DIV>and configuration" paradigm that is used in apt. (I don't like it in yast either,
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<DIV>but the Novell support and consistent paradigm make up for it.)
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<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>I feel that a server should have a three to four year lifetime, after which point,
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<DIV>you should build a new server, migrate the services is provides, and repurpose
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<DIV>the original hardware. This fits within the 5 year support window of the major
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<DIV>"Enterprise Linux" distributions.
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<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>For workstations, however, you need quick access to new features. This means
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<DIV>prompt minor-version updates (security still matters!) and fast major-version
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<DIV>updates. Support is less important. I recommend OpenSUSE, Fedora Core,
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<DIV>and Ubuntu for this use. Mandrake likely fits here too, but I've not used it lately,
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<DIV>so I will let Dave weigh in.
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<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>I do not recommend Novell Linux Desktop for techies like us. While it is a very
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<DIV>nice desktop, it is frustrating if you need rapid access to new technologies (toys).
</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>I feel that a workstation should have around a six to nine month lifetime, and be
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<DIV>rebuilt every cycle. This not only keeps the system fresh and clean, but it also
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<DIV>encourages people to use network-based tools and keep things off their non-RAID
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<DIV>hard drives.
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<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Regarding how to get from where you are to where best practice dictates,
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<DIV>I recommend getting a new machine and building it with a server-level
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<DIV>OS. Then, install each service you need, one at a time, documenting and
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<DIV>testing all the way. (Be sure to use DNS here, no hard coded IPs!). Work
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<DIV>up a dependency document, and shift services over one at a time, as you
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<DIV>can isolate the dependencies. It actually takes a lot less time than you may
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<DIV>think.
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<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Regarding where to put things, just refer to the Filesystem Hierarchy Standard
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<DIV>( <i><a href="http://www.pathname.com/fhs/"><u><font color="#0000ff">http://www.pathname.com/fhs/</font></u></a></i> ). If your distro doesn't support it, get a
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<DIV>better distro. These days, most distros support it, although some may need
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<DIV>special modules. I will say, though, set up your system this way:
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<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>/boot
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<DIV>swap
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<DIV>/
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<DIV>LVM
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<DIV> /home
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<DIV> /srv
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<DIV> /var
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<DIV> /opt
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<DIV> /usr
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<DIV> .
</DIV>
<DIV> .
</DIV>
<DIV> .
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<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>/boot and / should be standalone partitions, to ease disaster recover.
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<DIV>swap should be as close to the beginning of the disk as possible.
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<DIV>Everything else should be on LVM, so that you can control the sizes on
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<DIV>the fly. Especially /var.
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<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>I hope that this helps (and doesn't start a religious war).
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<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><br><br><br>-- <br>-Josh More, RHCE, CISSP, NCLP <br> morej@alliancetechnologies.net <br> 515-245-7701<br><br>>>>sthiessen@passitonservices.org 12/20/05 1:03 pm >>><br>Well, I'm mostly concerned that with the pace of open source updates,<br>that sooner or later program A requires Dependency B which requires<br>Dependency C which requires OS update D which requires ...<br><br>Add to that keeping up with security updates ... Since I am not a<br>full-time Linux administrator, I don't want to have an old system that<br>is exploitable, but I am not always confident that I am informed enough<br>to know that I am up to date.  I have my 9.2 system autoupdating itself<br>from the SuSE online update, but that's as far as I have gone. <br>Sometimes I feel, "Well, maybe just installing a new OS every so often<br>is more secure."  At the same time, I risk other programs, etc breaking<br>because of the dependency issues.<br><br>I just wasn't sure how most people handle this kind of thing.<br><br>Thanks,<br><br>Stuart<br>On Dec 20, 2005, at 11:38, Dave J. Hala Jr. wrote:<br><br>>Are you having trouble getting patches? Are you having version issues?<br>>Are you going to have these issues in the near future? (1yr?)<br>><br>>If not, I think that old saying goes: "If it ain't broke, don't fix it"<br>><br>><br>><br>>On Tue, 2005-12-20 at 11:33, Stuart Thiessen wrote:<br>>>Hi! I wanted to ask a question that is surely a newbie question ...<br>>><br>>>Ok, I have a server running SuSE 9.2.  I know that is an older version<br>>>so I was thinking maybe I should upgrade it to newer specs to avoid<br>>>patching issues, etc.<br>>><br>>>My main question is this ... how do I really do upgrades of the<br>>>operating system without it affecting my data and configuration files<br>>>for different services?  Have they come up with a methodology by which<br>>>you can update your system well and inform you of the gotchas, or you<br>>>just have to read up on all the new versions and manually update each<br>>>program that creates a gotcha situation?<br>>><br>>>On my particular system, I have /, /boot, /opt, /usr, /home, /var all<br>>>on different partitions. I am assuming if I upgraded to a newer<br>>>version<br>>>of SuSE or decided to go with a different distribution, that I could<br>>>just update all the other partitions but leave /home untouched, right?<br>>>What about httpd configurations or other server configs? I know I<br>>>should back them up before upgrading, but then just restore them on<br>>>top<br>>>of the upgrade or is there a better system for managing these kinds of<br>>>situations so that you don't have to go server by server and<br>>>restore/fix everything?<br>>><br>>>Does this make sense?<br>>><br>>>Stuart<br>>><br>>><br>>>Cialug mailing list<br>>>Cialug@cialug.org<br>>>http://cialug.org/mailman/listinfo/cialug<br>>--<br>><br>>Open Source Information Systems, Inc. (OSIS)<br>>Dave J. Hala Jr., President <dave@osis.us><br>>641.485.1606<br>><br>><br>>Cialug mailing list<br>>Cialug@cialug.org<br>>http://cialug.org/mailman/listinfo/cialug<br>><br>><br><br><br>Cialug mailing list<br>Cialug@cialug.org<br>http://cialug.org/mailman/listinfo/cialug<br> </DIV>
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