Why I am starting to hate Linux.

[Phil Marsh]

Hi Bob, All,
My two cents. The thing I dislike is that I need to completely upgrade the
OS to  get the latest software (e.g. compilers etc...) and often libraries
sometimes require newer software than the versions have.
For this, I rely on PPAs but I don't think this is ideal. Yea, I get that
the Linux folks are reluctant to have brand-new software in the interests
of stability. I wonder if there's a way to have rolling updates instead of
reinstalling a fresh OS which winds up taking me about 2 weeks to set up?
On second thought, it's going to be somewhat better for my next upgrade
because some of my stuff is in Docker boxes and chroot jails. OS upgrades
are painful for me because I'm an amateur and also because I end up needing
to re-configure things like Apache and Owncloud servers. I don't think that
just doing the standard Ubuntu upgrade will work right here either and I've
always installed fresh to upgrade.
By the way, I always keep a bootable (secondary) OS SSD for the sole
purpose of being able to boot up should my main OS (primary) drive get
messed up - to the point of not booting. I also send my OS files at 3AM, to
a directory on a snapshotted ZFS pool. Should I blow up my current OS or do
something stupid to a server, I can always reload my OS drive from that
snapshot or directly from the backup directory using the the primary or
secondary OS drive. Then, of course, I update Grub etc.. to make the
reloaded OS drive bootable. The best way to handle all this might be to
just have your root directory on ZFS, but I'm not comfortable with that
yet, and I think, in that case, one would still need a recovery drive with
ZFS installed.
Also, I'm looking at installing BBB (Big Blue Button) on Docker. Any
recommendations or advice? Is this a good idea? I like the idea of Docker
for this because it would seem to minimize interference with my web server
and make it easier to upgrade my OS etc... I already run Jitsi on Docker.
Thanks and best,
Phil

On Thu, Apr 28, 2022 at 2:17 PM Bob Proulx <bob at proulx.com> wrote:

> Steve Wolf wrote:
> > As another alternative to a debian-based system like ubuntu, I'm running
> > RedHat on my home server.  I used to run CentOS, which was downstream
> > RedHat, but then RedHat bought CentOS and turned it into its experimental
> > branch.  But they do offer a free RedHat subscription for up to 31 boxes
> (I
> > think -- I'm only running one).
>
> For people who haven't been following the activity "CentOS Stream" now
> sits as a testing ground somewhere between RHEL and Fedora on the
> close to RHEL side.  Red Hat plans to use the CentOS community to test
> for bugs in what then will go into their RHEL release.  CentOS Stream
> will be a rolling release model for new development.  I know several
> people who have not been happy with Red Hat's decision to pull the
> CentOS rug out from under them.
>
> > I tried and failed to like Suse.  So it's RedHat for me. YMMV.
>
> Out of the ruins of CentOS arises two names that are new but each
> continuing the old tradition of old CentOS.  Both of these appeared on
> the scene within a month of each other early in 2021.  It's been a
> year now.
>
> Rocky Linux was created by Gregory Kurtzer, the founder of the
> original CentOS project before Red Hat bought it.  Rocky is a tribute
> name to CentOS co-founder Rocky McGaugh.  Rocky Linux aims to be what
> CentOS was again.  Rather a case of history repeating itself.  Here is
> a news article.
>
>     https://www.theregister.com/2020/12/10/rocky_linux
>
> AlmaLinux was created by CloudLinux and KernelCare.  Alma means Soul
> in Latin languages.  "Soul" Linux.  The cloud vendors needed a free
> software OS.  The cloud vendors were already building their own clone.
> So when CentOS was killed off they decided to make their efforts
> public with Alma.  It continues their need to provide cloud virtual
> hosting images.  Here is a news article.
>
>
> https://www.zdnet.com/article/cloudlinux-launches-almalinux-centos-linux-clone/
>
> I am hoping these two efforts can converge.  They seem to be on
> friendly relations with each other.  Therefore they should be sharing
> the workload for security upgrades and other support.  Regardless
> these two groups are ensuing that the community around CentOS have a
> place they can go.
>
> At least initially it feels to me that Alma is ahead of Rocky in terms
> of development and polish.  But the Rocky developers are experienced.
> I expect over time the two systems will leapfrog each other.
>
> The CentOS community will continue.  It will just be called Alma
> and/or Rocky moving forward.
>
> Bob
>
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