[TriLUG] Debian any good?

[Peter Long]

Hi,

Thanks for the advice. I did not realize that it was possible to install 
Debian off the KNOPPIX CD! Actually I am busy using jigdo to build the 
Debian3r2 iso's now. 7 CDs is a lot. Do I really need all of them?

Although I do use the machine primarily as my mail server and firewall 
it does also see use as a Desktop machine from time to time. Its a bit 
slow for heavy use(PII 350 w/256MB RAM). My RedHat 8 distro had KDE 
3.0.5 on it. I see that Debian Stable only has 2.2.something ancient. 
That sounds a little more "stable" that I like. However I don't want the 
machine crashing every ten minutes. Should I go for the "Testing" 
release instead?

--
Peter Long

joey at odoherty.net wrote:

> Hi Peter, 
> 
> Debian would be a great choice for the functions that you listed. My
> only comment is that if you are not planning on using the computer as
> a desktop machine (pardon me if I am assuming incorrectly) don't install
> using Knoppix, rather do a plain Debian Stable installation. Mailserver /
> firewall is one role where Debian Stable really shines in. Knoppix uses
> a mix of software packages from Debian Testing, Unstable, and other sources
> and it is my understanding that it leaves behind a fair ammount of "cruft."
> Automagic soundcard detection is nice, but not so important for a server :)
> 
> All the software you mentioned is in Debian. You can check 
> http://packages.debian.org to make sure the version numbers are recent
> enough for your needs or to query other software.
> 
> cheers,
> /joeyo
> 
> On Sat, Jan 31, 2004 at 11:12:32PM -0500, Peter Long wrote:
> 
>>Hi all,
>>
>>Since my harddisk is acting funny I have decided to upgrade the OS on my 
>>RedHat 8.0 box (and replace the disk at the same time). I have been 
>>using RedHat and Mandrake for the last 6 years so I think its time to 
>>try something new. I tried KNOPPIX 3.3 earlier today when on Brian 
>>Weaver's advice I used badblocks to check the disk (none found Brian). I 
>>was very impressed with KNOPPIX. It found all my hardware and even had 
>>the sound working without any tinkering on my part! I understand KNOPPIX 
>>is based on Debian so I thought I would try it as the OS of my Linux 
>>machine.
>>
>>However I thought it might be prudent to ask for advice from current 
>>Debian users on the list. I mainly use the machine as a NAT gateway and 
>>firewall as well as my mail-server. I use postfix and University of 
>>Washington IMAP. I also plan to use shorewall as my firewall. At the 
>>moment I just use IPtables on its own. I assume the Debian distro will 
>>contain all these apps.
>>
>>Any tips or advice would be appreciated.
>>
>>--
>>Peter Long
>>