Rick Dooling wrote:
On Jan 21, 7:20 pm, charlie derr <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
He's really eager to upgrade from etch to something newer.
You didn't say why? Is there a particular program he craves a newer
version of?
Most of them :-[ It looked to me like icedove 2.0.0.9-3 is available in testing right now (when I searched on
packages.debian.org) and I figured that most other stuff would be available in a relatively contemporary version too.
I went the Ubuntu route a couple of years ago. It's fun until you do a
routine update and everything breaks. If he's not an expert and it's
his workstation (that is, where he works) I would stick with stable,
unless there is a compelling need for a newer version of something he
needs to get his work done.
He actually has a second machine (laptop) with ubuntu on it (an attempt to switch distros in the past). Since I'm not nearly as
proficient with untangling ubuntu problems as I am with understanding debian, I don't think that it really makes sense (in the
past there were other ubuntu-lovers around that he could also lean on but that's no longer the case). The laptop has dapper on
it, and from what little I've read, the upgrade path for ubuntu mostly means wipe;reinstall -- if the desktop machine goes to
testing without much of a hitch, then I guess we'll then be faced with the decision of what to upgrade the laptop to.
This guy has actually been running debian for a lot longer than I have (though always with assistance). While it's sometimes a
bit frustrating to always be on the hook no matter what issue he might be having, I do feel it's important to support the "ethos"
that drives his insistence on using debian/GNU linux (his understanding of the political ramifications of using free software is
something I obviously support completely, and it's the reason I'm willing to go the extra mile for him). It's a little bit
interesting to me that my query brought a debate as to whether ubuntu would be more appropriate (not a question I was asking). I
was more looking for some feedback from someone who might have upgraded from etch to testing recently about specific pitfalls.
In Debian, stable means something, as they say.
You're preaching to the choir (though I personally run unstable, I do understand that I'm going to sometimes have problems doing
this).
thanks in any case to all 3 of you for your feedback,
~c
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