This is coming from an end-user of Debian: I wish I had the ability and time to contribute more directly to Debian. However, I can contribute this response to some of the concerns I have seen on this mailing list.
Debian by far is the most rock solid Linux distribution I have used (used several Slackware, RedHat, etc.). I have been using Linux for a long time now. This new stable version of Debian has obviously been more difficult than the last major hurdle in going from a.out to elf. In my mind several factors stand out about Debian: (1) The stable version is stable (really runs for days, months, years, etc.). The MTBF becomes tied to hardware failures (hard drives being the most vulnerable) not software. (2) The process of upgrade is painless and takes care of dependencies (not just partly as in RedHat). (3) It is trully "free" in the sense that the system is open and I can get help whenever needed much quicker and better quality than any commercial version of any operating system I have used. Just ask for the help in this forum. (4) You can always take the plunge and get the latest versions of a package and usually install (although not always) and use it from the unstable tree. It has been amazing to see how the number of fine packages have become available. (5) Debian is becoming available for platforms other than Intel. I intend very shortly to convert my vendor-delivered RedHat-Alpha-Linux machine to Debian. I haven't seen the how-to on this!? (6) Linux and Debian popularity is growing. As long as all these good things are still in place, I intend to keep with a great distribution, Debian. People change, and organizations change. It is just the way life is. Cheers... -- /------------------------------------------------------------------\ |James D. Freels, P.E._i, Ph.D. |Phone: (423)576-8645 | | L | A | |Oak Ridge National Laboratory |FAX: (423)574-9172 | H | I | L | |Research Reactors Division |work e-m: [EMAIL PROTECTED]| F | N | P | |P. O. Box 2008 |home e-m: [EMAIL PROTECTED] | I | U | H | |Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831-6392|world's best neutrons | R | X | A | \------------------------------------------------------------------/ -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact [EMAIL PROTECTED]
