JEOS LAMP Server - 8.04LTS or 9.10?

[NoOp]

On 05/05/2009 08:21 PM, Charlie Kravetz wrote:
> On Tue, 5 May 2009 16:33:49 -0500
> Preston Kutzner ...

>> To the OP,
>> 
>> I concur that you'd be best off using the LTS versions for server  
>> applications, unless you need the most recent versions of certain  
>> apps.  The LTS versions are supported for 5 years (for the server  
>> version).  Security patches do get back-ported to the TLS versions
>> of packages if necessary, so you don't have to worry about having
>> the latest release to get a security fix.  And, generally, the LTS  
>> versions are more stable.  Also, LTS versions can be upgraded
>> straight to the new LTS version when it is made available.  For
>> example, 6.06 (Dapper) -> 8.04 (Hardy) is a supported upgrade path
>> for an LTS version, but not for a non-LTS version.  If you decide to
>> go with a non-LTS release, you must upgrade every 6 months to the
>> next official release.  You cannot skip releases when upgrading
>> non-LTS versions. Hope that wasn't too confusing.
>> 
> 
> Actually, non-LTS versions are supported for 18 months, not 6. Just as
> you can use the LTS server version for 5 years, during which time, 2
> more will be produced, you can use the non-LTS versions for the 18
> month lifespan with out upgrading.
> 

While long an advocate for LTS, I'd add that it is a serious pain to
transition/upgrade from an LTS to a non-LTS later on. There seriously
needs to be an upgrade application that will allow someone to do this.
Example: just upgrading from hardy 8.04 to Jaunty 9.04 is a two day
process for a single machine. I am in the process of updating several,
and on my primary hardy machine (2.4Ghz/1GB ram) just going from hardy
to intrepid has been an all day process (still not finished); I started
around 10:00 this morning, it's now 21:00, and I am just now getting to
the nvidia driver install so that I can change the video to a reasonable
screen resolution. Not to mention that I have to train the user how to
restart the machine using System|Shut Down instead of clicking the
little green guy who seems to have lost his viagra and only provides
'Log out' and 'Switch user' options. Tomorrow will be: 1) fixing
intrepid so that I can upgrade to jaunty, 2) spending yet another day
(at least) upgrading to jaunty.

Bottom line (IMO) is to *only* do LTS if you don't plan to do any
further application upgrades until the next LTS. Also, only do it if you
can tolerate having software that is months/years out of date (OOo, etc)
with minimal security updates. LTS is of course there for a reason -
stability. But just keep in mind that sometimes 'stability' is like
buying an old reliable car; it may run forever, but somehow lacks
features that come out in later models: airbags, updated seatbelts (you
get the lap belt instead of intelligent shoulder harnesses), disk
brakes, in dash blue-tooth toothbrush & hair brush, etc.