Re: Which Linux is best on lab top

[Ludovic Brenta <ludovic@ludovic-brenta.org>]

Anh Vo writes:
> I am looking for a Linux flavor with easy setup, more driver support
> and auto update. Red Hat is not quite good on these areas. Ubunto
> Linux does provide these capabilities according what I have read and
> heard. However, I would like to hear from the experts who have been
> using it. Thanks.

Like others have said, it really boils down to Debian or Ubuntu.

People installing Ubuntu usually download a new 650-meg ISO image and
reistall from scratch every 6 months.  Only a few of them know about
the better alternative, which is...

People installing Debian usually install only once, and upgrade in
place whenever they want.  They choose between stable, testing and
unstable and track that.

Neither Debian nor Ubuntu have auto-upgrade, because Debian doesn't do
things behind people's back.  You ask for an upgrade explicitly, when
you choose to, and it is very easy because APT tracks dependencies and
preserves your configuration files.  I have a machine at home where I
installed Debian 3.0 "Woody" in late 2002 and never reinstalled since
(this machine doesn't boot from CD or network and its diskette drive
died since, so I *couldn't* reinstall from scratch even if I wanted
to).  It now runs Debian 4.0 "Etch".  The same holds for my two
laptops (first installed in March 2004 and November 2006 respectively,
and constantly upgraded to track Etch).

The Ada toolchain is not on the Ubuntu CD-ROMs; you have to install
from the network.

The Ada toolchain is on the Debian CD-ROMs and DVD-ROMs; you can
install either from there or from the network.

I do not receive bug reports filed against Ubuntu, or read the Ubuntu
mailing lists or forums.  But I do see the Debian bug reports and I am
on Debian mailing lists (e.g. debian-gcc@lists.debian.org).

So my advice is: go with Debian, the mother of all distributions.  Why
use a derivative when you can have the original? Of course you may
think I'm biased.  I'm not.  I chose Debian in 2002 because it was the
largest distribution and because it was possible for outsiders like me
to contribute.  If things changed, I would consider switching again,
but so far Debian has kept its promises.

PS. Thanks to Jeffrey, Georg, Pascal and Alex for the kudos.

-- 
Ludovic Brenta.