I remember upgrading from 1.2 to 2.1 a couple months ago on a few client's systems and it wasn't too bad. Give yoruself a couple hours. No big deal. Just be careful that you don't clober any package configurations that yoiu may have customized...
I don't know if you have ever actually maintained a Debian system, but it isn't like BSD. The packaging system alone makes a huge difference. Not to mention the sysvinit aspects. You must be refering to the installation process. And probably dselect more specificly.
Now, as for the advocates, yes, we are a bit elitist but for good reason. We don't want a perfectly good system ruined by dumbed down UI's and lazy users. With a little work and a few brain cells anyone can join the club. Just run Slackware for a year.. find out how much it sucks when you have to reinstall to upgrade your system and come to the dark side. You need to be a lowly newbie for a while before you can be cool. Kinda like being a freshman in high school.
And I don't WANT to embrace the Microsoft market! I want to perform a hostile takeover!
Something I just thought of that I think might sound interesting is that, as Debian Linux user I feel a bit left out of a lot of the Linux hype. Almost in the same way that BSD users are. And really, I like it that way. Debian is very strict. It has a somewhat closed develpment base and yet is completely GPL'd. Best of both worlds as far as I am concerned. I am not going to argue the benefits of GPL vs. BSDL. I will just say I feel more altruistic working under a GPL in general, and with Debian more specificly. I don't really care how popular the OS that I use is. I will use what I feel most comfortable with. Debian Linux is it.
I hate managing BSD installations much in the same way as I hate Slackware Linux. So, for me, I would say that Debian has kept me from going to the BSD side. I think if I had the choice between Slackware and FreeBSD, I would go with FBSD on technical merit alone. But technical merit isn't enough when deciding between Debian and FreeBSD.
As for the popularity of Linux over BSD? It is probably for the same reason that Debian hasn't gotten the mindshare that other distributions of Linux have. It is simply that most Linux distibutions cater to newbies. They are more inviting to novices. It is that simple. It has nothing to do with application or hardware support or penguins vs. daemons.. etc.
The world is mostly full of idiots. If you cater to them, you are bound to get a larger marketshare. Bill Gates has proven this to be a winning strategy.
So, anyone running RedHat or Slackware, ready to try FBSD, make sure you try Debian Linux too.
Slashdot Mirror
I remember upgrading from 1.2 to 2.1 a couple months ago on a few client's systems and it wasn't too bad. Give yoruself a couple hours. No big deal. Just be careful that you don't clober any package configurations that yoiu may have customized...
1) Choose a DSL/Cablemodem provider that ISN'T fascist! There is no reason why you can't do DSL with Linux.
2) There is plenty of hardware support. You just have to be a little careful about the hardware that you buy. My laptop works great with Debian linux.
3) You shouldn't buy products from companies that make proprietary hardware standards and won't release the specs.
4) More idiot linux users are not going to speed up the develolpement of USB in the kernel.
Linux users don't have it that bad. If you would stop being such a bleeding edge, mindless hardware fiend maybe this will all make sense.
-matthew
I don't know if you have ever actually maintained a Debian system, but it isn't like BSD. The packaging system alone makes a huge difference. Not to mention the sysvinit aspects. You must be refering to the installation process. And probably dselect more specificly.
Now, as for the advocates, yes, we are a bit elitist but for good reason. We don't want a perfectly good system ruined by dumbed down UI's and lazy users. With a little work and a few brain cells anyone can join the club. Just run Slackware for a year.. find out how much it sucks when you have to reinstall to upgrade your system and come to the dark side. You need to be a lowly newbie for a while before you can be cool. Kinda like being a freshman in high school.
And I don't WANT to embrace the Microsoft market! I want to perform a hostile takeover!
misleb
Something I just thought of that I think might sound interesting is that, as Debian Linux user I feel a bit left out of a lot of the Linux hype. Almost in the same way that BSD users are. And really, I like it that way. Debian is very strict. It has a somewhat closed develpment base and yet is completely GPL'd. Best of both worlds as far as I am concerned. I am not going to argue the benefits of GPL vs. BSDL. I will just say I feel more altruistic working under a GPL in general, and with Debian more specificly. I don't really care how popular the OS that I use is. I will use what I feel most comfortable with. Debian Linux is it.
I hate managing BSD installations much in the same way as I hate Slackware Linux. So, for me, I would say that Debian has kept me from going to the BSD side. I think if I had the choice between Slackware and FreeBSD, I would go with FBSD on technical merit alone. But technical merit isn't enough when deciding between Debian and FreeBSD.
As for the popularity of Linux over BSD? It is probably for the same reason that Debian hasn't gotten the mindshare that other distributions of Linux have. It is simply that most Linux distibutions cater to newbies. They are more inviting to novices. It is that simple. It has nothing to do with application or hardware support or penguins vs. daemons.. etc.
The world is mostly full of idiots. If you cater to them, you are bound to get a larger marketshare. Bill Gates has proven this to be a winning strategy.
So, anyone running RedHat or Slackware, ready to try FBSD, make sure you try Debian Linux too.
-misleb