[Cialug] Upgrade questions

Tue Dec 20 21:01:51 CST 2005

Pardon my ignorance, but I have not run across the LVM term before.  
Can you explain?

Stuart

On Dec 20, 2005, at 17:46, Josh More wrote:

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