[sclug] Spring cleaning

[Ian Michell]

Chris Aitken wrote:

>>Hi all,
>>
>>It is that time of year again, now I am faced with a few items on my new
>>agenda for my home network. I am about to install my old 120GB ATA 100
>>HD into my server box. It currently runs whitebox linux, now as you have
>>probably gathered from previous posts, I am no longer that much of a
>>redhat user and have migrated all my desktop machines away form Fedora
>>and Redhat, I plan to be RH free before within the next few days - a week.
>>
>>What to do, first off I need to choose my new Server operating System,
>>the choices are:
>>GNU/Linux, a BSD Based distribution, or move to Solaris.( uh maybe not!).
>>
>>If  I stick with Linux what should I run out of the thousands of distros
>>out there,
>>1. Debian (currently top of the list)
>>2. Stick with Whitebox
>>3. Slackware
>>4. Go the whole hog and have gentoo on every machine in the house (can I
>>really be arsed to do it?).
>>5. Migrate to SuSE and run cool novell stuff ;)
>>6. other
>>
>>If I go with BSD the choices are:
>>1. FreeBSD
>>2. GNU/Darwin
>>3. NetBSD
>>4. OpenBSD
>>
>>If I go with Solaris
>>1. Shoot self in head, for running proprietry software
>>
>>My requirements are simple. I need a machine that can be a webserver,
>>cvs server, storage device, firewall, VPN client and a VPN Server and
>>finally a database box. I have to choose wisely because I want to have a
>>system that will take the least possible effort for patching etc (gentoo
>>and debian come to mind here). I am also paranoid about security so I
>>need something that can facilite those needs (BSD comes to mind here
>>too!). I am not sure how fast the debian folk are at updates (haven't
>>used debian in well over a year!!) and even though the machine itself is
>>a suck ass little box (only a 466 celeron) I may be tempted to run a
>>private UT2004 server....
>>
>>So what will it be, I am sure we have quite a bit of direversity in the
>>LUG to decide ;)
>>
>>    
>>
>
>Well debian are currently offering (in various states):
>
>Debian GNU/Linux
>Debian GNU/Hurd - essentially Mach
>Debian GNU/NetBSD
>Debian GNU/FreeBSD
>
>So whatever kernel/base you choose, you still get the best of the debian
>world!
>
>http://www.debian.org/ports/
>
>ATEOTD, any *BSD or Linux distro will do what you want. I think you may get
>alot more backup with Debian here, mainly because of the amount of users
>here. I'm biased towards debian, but have never used a *BSD. I have however
>used alot of linux distros. For a mjor security issue, debian often patches
>within half a day. a couple of days if it is a very minor one.
>
>HTH
>
>Chris
>
>
>  
>
Very true, just been reading up on it all, I am very tempted to play 
with Debian/Hurd and Debian/NetBSD, methinks a VMWare session is in 
progress this weekend! But I methinks that debian is looking more 
attractive, I just need something that is stable, secure and moderatly 
up to date, I kinda left debian because of this, but since this is not a 
desktop machine, I think debian is the most likely candidate to find a 
home in my network ;)