Re: Best Linux version to port from OpenServer 5.0.5/6

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Date: Thu, 20 Nov 2003 00:07:15 GMT

Justin Robbs wrote:
> Hello all,
>
> We are embarking on a project to port from OpenServer 5.0.5/6, to Linux. I
> just wanted to get some opinions on which flavor of linux would be the best
> to port to. First, the background info and requirements.

I'll just about reached the midway point in my porting project. - which
has been a piece of piece so far thanks to it mainly depending on
informix 4gl.

> We don't need the latest and greatest technology, we just need a stable
> environment for our Point of Sale system. The benefits of going to linux
> would be to continue finding any needed drivers and integrating any
> additional hardware into our system. For example, most of our devices are
> serial devices, ie. upc scanner, cash drawer, handheld scanner etc. If for
> some reason they switched to usb, we would be out of luck. The same is true
> for our receipt printer. We also don't want to be locked into buying the
> latest version so we can get the driver we need, also if we add more stores,
> we would like to avoid incurring more licensing charges. I would like to be
> able to use a basic kernel without a whole lot of extra features.
>
> I would like to know which distro would be the easiest port ...

One that is clean, easy to config, logical and easy to upgrade with the
tools you need.
>
> the most stable ...

Something that's been around a while and gets lots of testing

> the best driver support ...
>
Petty much any linux here.. it's all about the kernel version

> the best long term survival chances ...

One of the bigger player then..
>
> the fastest with the smallest footprint ...

something that doesn install aload of crap you don't need...

Okay so what fits the bill? We used linux internally for all unix
services (only our selling product is still on openserver). I've been
using different flavors for over 6 years and we are completely
standardised on one singal distro now. -

D E B I A N

Debian. Just plain rocks..

It has 3 versions (stable, testing, Sid(still in dev). Stable is updated
about every 18-24 months. Security updates are backported to this
version, and previous stable version are even supported for a good
while. Once stable is installed you will never have to upgrade anything
apart from to get security patches... and that is easy.

# apt-get update && apt-get upgrade

This can be automagically via cron etc.. the location to pull the
packages down can be an inhouse server (rather than direct from the
web.. allowing full control of your updates)

The package management (apt) allows easy installs of packages (debs),
which are of a much higher standard that any rpm. If a package needs a
libary/other package it will get it and install it.. very very simple.
All packages need man pages.. (see /usr/share/doc/<package name> for
examples and guides.. (it's a release bug without!)

It's completely free.. No dropping support for the desktop edition aka
redhat and forcing the new rent payment approach..
No about to go bust aka mandrake..
Oh and it's free as in speech.... Debian will never die!,See the social
contract for the reasoning behind debian and it's the biggest distro
with now only 8000 packages ready to download. (stable is currently has
7CD if you want the whole lot!)

It's even support directly by HP

When it comes to admin (every config file is in /etc/xxx), finding
things is a simple guess! Apache config files /etc/apache, uucp
/etc/uucp, ipsec stuff /etc/ispec
All package configuration question information is stored and can be used
to make clone installs.
It uses a SYS V style start up directorires /etc/rc2.d /etc/init.d etc
similar to sco.
(it doesn't have the 13,000 symlinks tho)
Upon install it's very very clean and mininal.. base install packages
are approx 32MB IIRC and business card CD's (150MB) exist with full X
etc functionally.

*If you like your OSes tidy and managable, you will even after
installing other distros end up with debian. Especially if you job is
Unix/sysadmin!*

Oh and if your every what to upgrade from one version of debian to the
next.. it's config file change and:

# apt-get update && apt-get -u dist-upgrade

This updates the *whole* distro.. and i've used it to without failure
*every* time. (not even a re-boot!)

If you have any question.. email me .. no problems
and if you what to play checkout the hp test-drive program:

http://www.testdrive.compaq.com/os/linux/

> The services we use are PPP for our backend connection, although that is
> probably going to be replaced with a satellite VPN soon. We run apache for
> a local intranet server (store reports are delivered to the local machine
> and the management can view them on a windows kiosk in the stores). The
> rest of the stuff we do is basic serial interface, simple tcp/ip, and file
> io. Our application runs in between the users and the OS so the GUI is not
> important. Our interface is currently a character based GUI, but we are
> replacing it with an x-windows based java front end (management wants it to
> look prettier).

All sound fun.. Hope it goes well.

SteveL
(clear the weather to reply)

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