[Discuss] OS Switch (was Google hasn't saved my Amarok)

[Alan W. Irwin]

On 2007-08-26 14:12-0700 R. Langkamer wrote:

>[...] I too though am wondering what switch. So far 
> I've been happy in working with ubuntu. I was going to upgrade my desktops 
> running 6.x to 7.x but since 7.10 is so close to release (if it does come out 
> in October), I've decided to wait the few months.

Currently we have Debian sarge = oldstable and Ubuntu dapper = 6.06 on our
two boxes. Ubuntu is pretty good for newbies and is by far the most popular
distro out there, but I have concluded from my dapper experience it is not
quite right for my (experienced Debian Linux desktop user) needs.  There are
a number of minor Ubuntu issues for an experienced Debian user that can be
worked around, but I will give an example of one issue where there is really
no good workaround. I tend to use a lot of the "Universe" packages that are
Ubuntu-converted Debian packages.  However, Ubuntu only gives minimal
support for those "Universe" packages, and I far prefer the direct support
you get for those packages when you are running Debian.

With the decision made to use Debian exclusively, the next question is what
versions of Debian?  I prefer to test PLplot for a variety of library
versions so I currently plan to upgrade our two boxes this fall to Debian
stable and Debian testing.  From past experience I think that Debian testing
will prove to give a reasonably reliable but cutting-edge desktop, but if
that is no longer the case, my backup plan is to have both boxes run Debian
stable.

Alan
__________________________ 
Alan W. Irwin

Astronomical research affiliation with Department of Physics and Astronomy,
University of Victoria (astrowww.phys.uvic.ca).

Programming affiliations with the FreeEOS equation-of-state implementation
for stellar interiors (freeeos.sf.net); PLplot scientific plotting software
package (plplot.org); the libLASi project (unifont.org/lasi); the Loads of
Linux Links project (loll.sf.net); and the Linux Brochure Project
(lbproject.sf.net).
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Linux-powered Science
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