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

From: Justin Robbs (justin_robbsNO_at_SPAMhotmail.com)
Date: 11/20/03 

Date: Thu, 20 Nov 2003 08:31:53 -0700

"Kinesin" <Kinesin@STORMblueyonder.co.uk> wrote in message
news:TATub.5416$Dt4.46888028@news-text.cableinet.net...
> 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)
>

Steve,

Thanks for the info. It seems a lot of people share your
opinion. I keep running into debian everywhere I look. I
appreciate your time.

Thanks,
Justin

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