[PLUG] Linux distributions

[Paul Heinlein]

On Wed, 19 Aug 2015, King Beowulf wrote:

> On 08/19/2015 05:51 PM, Nathan Williams wrote:
>> I'll echo the endorsement for CentOS 7. It's reasonably new enough 
>> to offer new-ish packages for desktop use, while also being the 
>> "gold standard" for stability and long term support (EOL in June 
>> 2024). Add in EPEL and elrepo for "extras", and you've got a pretty 
>> solid system that you won't have to totally replace every 6 months.
>
> CentOS is no longer an independent project, more like a test bed for 
> Redhat.

This is misleading. While the CentOS project's governance has changed 
a bit of late, the CentOS distribution is doing no more and no less 
than it always has: rebuilding the Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) 
source RPMs in such a way as to mimic as closely as possible the 
upstream RHEL release.

If you know of specific details how the governance has changed *the 
end CentOS product*, I'd like to hear them.

> Being supported for 10 years is great for a server, not so much for 
> end-user desktops.  For a desktop, some system files just can't be 
> upgraded past a certain point without compromising system stability.

While this is true, the assessment is incomplete. There are a few 
variables in play:

* How long has the CentOS release been available before you install
   it? If you install CentOS 6, which has been around for several
   years, then you'll end up with older software. CentOS 7, which
   is much newer, still has a couple years of being close to
   current.

* What's the distribution doing? You have to ask that question
   whether the target platform is a server or a desktop. If the
   desktop is doing work that requires the latest software, that's
   one thing. If someone is just running a few terminal windows
   and ssh-ing to other machines, an older distribution might be
   just fine.

-- 
Paul Heinlein
heinlein at madboa.com
45°38' N, 122°6' W