Distribution to use

[tlang@freeway.apana.org.au (Tony Langdon)]

It's 29 Dec 98  06:07:33,
We'll return to spblunt@ozemail.com.au and All's
discussion of Distribution to use

 sp> I've never actually used Debian, but I was thinking Slackware would
 sp> make a good distro because:

 sp> 1) None of the configuration utils require X.

 sp> 2) The base system can be installed from floppys (older Slackwares
 sp> could install the whole thing from floppys.

 sp> Slackware also tends to be a smaller distro than the others.

I would prefer Debian myself (though I've never used it), as it has a
good package manager, and a solid reputation, as well as being volunteer
supported.

The last time I used Slackware, I found it too "manual" to be practical
in many circumstances, unless one was employed as a full time UNIX
sysadmin anyway (and yes, I do prefer compiling source myself, but
sometimes it's more appropriate to grab the relevant package :) ).

When I started evaluating Linux at work, I initially tried Slackware,
which performed solidly (until I trashed the box with an unstable
developmental kernel :) ), but found it too fiddly to be time efficient.
In the end, we went Red Hat, but I'm sure Debian would have served as
well.

However, the floppy installation is an attractive idea, given that many
old machines didn't have CD-ROM drives.  In the "lab", that wouldn't be
a problem, as long as an alternative such as NFS installation, was
available, but in the field, a floppy option would be an advantage.

.. Gawd, just when I could handle yesterday, along comes today!
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