Fresh install?

[Paul Lemmons]

There is something that has been bugging me for several years. While
fairly new to Ubuntu I have been using Linux as my primary OS since
Fedora core 2. The thing that has been a irritation for all of that time
is the repeated recommendation to do a "Clean Install" instead of an
upgrade. I spent most of the weekend rebuilding a friend's Windows
laptop because it had gotten slow (tripled the speed just by
reinstalling!). I was feeling quite superior in that I never have to do
that with my laptop. It is always snappy regardless of what I add or
remove and I am a software junky Then I check my email this morning and
I see again the recommendation to do a "clean install" (<=rebuild your
machine) and all the superior feelings dissipated.

I upgraded my laptop from Fedora Core-2 through Fedora-7 without any
issues. I did rebuild the laptop to convert it to Kubuntu. I installed
GG-Beta and upgraded it through HH-Beta and the current HH. I plan on
upgrading again when II goes GA. If I have to rebuild my laptop and my
workstation at work I will be sorely disappointed, to put it lightly.

Am I the only one with such a positive experience with the upgrade
process? Do more of you upgrade or rebuild? Why the constant advice to
backup your system, remember all of the apps you installed and then
trash it to install clean and restore apps and files with a prayer that
you did not miss anything?

-- 
Sometimes I wonder.  Were our faith able to stand upright and look 
around, would it be looking down at the mustard seed or standing in awe 
of the height and breadth of it.
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