[ILUG] Debian stable / testing

[raoul duke]

On Fri, Jan 09, 2004 at 03:17:32PM -0000, Ciaran Johnston wrote:
> Well, that's two off-topic posts this year already - I'd better get
> on-topic quickly.
> 
> I am building a web and mail server, and making my first foray into
> Debian. I've installed from the Debian 3.0r1 CDs.
> 
> Bearing in mind that I will need to compile custom versions (and
> preferably the latest releases) of the 2.4 kernel, Apache and PHP, what is
> my best option for package management? My current thinking is to follow
> the stable branch for everything bar these three, so that I will get
> timely security updates, and just build these three from source.
> 
> However, I'm wondering if anyone does, or if it is at all recommended, to
> run testing on a server connected to the internet? Is there any benefit /
> is it a major security risk? I don't think there is too much problem with
> sticking with stable, although I haven't got around to building PHP yet,
> and my compilation options require a lot of graphics and other libraries
> to build against. If these aren't available under stable, or aren't recent
> enough, I may be in difficulties.
> 
> Also, how does one go from stable to testing and back to stable, in the
> same day?
> 

the safest thing to do would be to stay stable and compile your needed
packages, these packages might already have been compiled for stable,
search on http://apt-get.org there's a debian package called kernel-package
which builds your kernel and creates a debian kernel package (man
make-kpkg).

i'm told though, that testing is as stable or even more stable than most
distros. i also hear that testing is set to be released some time this year
so doesn't really matter all that much.

in any case, don't listen to me 'cause i only run debian on my desktop at
home :)

-- 
"Mother of God, I thought. Here it comes."