[Gllug] BIND 9.2 - 'mix and match'

[Martin A. Brooks]

At 09:57 09/07/2003, you wrote:
>I was under the impression that compiling/installing from original sources was
>generally a better option than using packaged binaries which were intended
>mainly for convenience - but please correct me if I'm wrong !

I would mostly disagree with this.

Package management is the absolute key to a maintainable system.  I manage 
a datacentre of 170 servers, can you imagine manually compiling every 
single thing on all of those nodes?  More importantly, can you imagine 
keeping that many servers up to date with all the latest versions?

It sounds obvious, but compiling from source requires a 
compiler.  Supposing I don't want to have a compiler on these 
nodes?  (which I don't, incidentally).

Using debian's package distribution system, I can automagically guarantee 
that each and every node I manage has _exactly_ the same version of each 
and every package installed on it.

When I get run over by a bus, anyone who is familiar with debian's system 
can simply walk in and do my job with no problems.  Would someone walking 
into your office have sufficient documentation to know exactly what extra 
stuff you'd installed, and where, and why?

Regards

Martin A. Brooks, Clues Ltd
http://www.clues.ltd.uk/ 


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