[CentOS] Troubles for an non-IT beginner

[Robert Heller]

At Wed, 19 Jan 2011 15:13:41 +0000 (GMT) CentOS mailing list <centos at centos.org> wrote:

> 
> On Wed, 19 Jan 2011, Les Mikesell wrote:
> 
> > CentOS would likely only be used as a desktop OS by people who also run
> > servers and like everything to be the same.  They all assemble approximately
> > the same set of upstream packages, though, so it is possible to make them
> > all do the same things with varying amounts of work in finding current
> > packages that might be missing in the base distribution.
> 
> I do think CentOS gets unreasonably knocked as a desktop OS.  I definitely
> don't use it on desktops *because* I run it on servers.
> 
> All the advantages of long release cycles apply to desktops.  Despite often
> thinking otherwise, many users require relatively few packages to be the
> latest shiniest, so running a bleeding edge distro isn't really needed.  Even
> then, a reasonably amount of software can end up being commercial, where EL5
> is currently better supported than any other linux release.  Where users do
> have requirements that diverge from the base OS, it's probably a good idea for
> that to be satisfied out of the main OS tree anyway, as that lets you satisfy
> local requirements while keeping the core identical across the board.

+1

The local library was originally setup with Ubuntu, but the tech geek
who set it up was NOT very good at maintaining things (applying
updates, doing basic admin stuff).  When I took over administrating
things and set up the new incarnation of 'thin clients', I installed
CentOS and with proper maintaince things run much more smoothly.  The
'desktop' systems are used by patrons and library staff people alike
(not techy geeks!). Things are stable and reliable.  The fact that
stuff is not bleeding edge is not something that really has much
effect for most people.

*I* use CentOS on *my* desktop AND on *my* laptop.



> 
> jh
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>                                                        

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Robert Heller             -- 978-544-6933 / heller at deepsoft.com
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