Very Computer

by **Peter Van Ost** » Tue, 19 Nov 1996 04:00:00

Hi,

I am running a Linux server based on Slackware 3.0. As slackware is not
very easy to upgrade and because Debian seems a Linux-distribution with
a broad support-base I would like to swicth to Debian.

I want to know if someone else has already experience with changing from
Slackware tot Debian (or RedHat) on a server and is Debian already
mature enough to include all the necessary tools to run a Full-featured
server ?

What is the best strategy tot make a "smooth" transition ? Is it
possible to leave the /usr/local/direcorty untouched and keep all the
software that is installed there to run on the new system ?

Peter Van Osta

--

Neurogenetics and Protein Chemistry
Department of Biochemistry
University of Antwerp (UIA), building T
Universiteitsplein 1
B-2610 Wilrijk (Antwerpen)
Belgium

tel.: +32 3 820 23 23 (am, GMT +1)
+32 3 820 23 22 (pm)
fax.: +32 3 820 25 41

WWW: http://alt-www.uia.ac.be/u/pvosta/pcrpers.html

by **Chris Fearnl** » Sat, 23 Nov 1996 04:00:00

>Hi,

>I am running a Linux server based on Slackware 3.0. As slackware is not
>very easy to upgrade and because Debian seems a Linux-distribution with
>a broad support-base I would like to swicth to Debian.

>I want to know if someone else has already experience with changing from
>Slackware tot Debian (or RedHat) on a server and is Debian already
>mature enough to include all the necessary tools to run a Full-featured
>server ?

I have converted 4 ISP servers from Slackware to Debian. It was worth
the pain, but there was pain.

Quote:>What is the best strategy tot make a "smooth" transition ? Is it
>possible to leave the /usr/local/direcorty untouched and keep all the
>software that is installed there to run on the new system ?

Each important subsystem must be handled separately. First back
/everything/ up. Plan your upgrade (don't worry that things don't go
according to plan!). Set aside a whole day. If you mentioned which
services the server runs, I might know of some hurdles that could come
up. For example, INN is hard so I recommend blowing away the old news
spool and starting from scratch (Debian has a well done INN package).
Web is relatively easy (since there is no standard location for web
files, the Debian default will not be where you'd expect - and will
change in a later version). sendmail should be straightforward (but
do test it!). Actually, sendmail was the worst part of my last
upgrade because I had restored a .procmailrc from the Slackware that
blew up under Debian (file locations changed). But the error message
had me worried I'd misconfigured Debian. Worse still this account was
the "test" account and so I thought the whole system was broken.
Fortunately not!

Good luck.

--
Christopher J. Fearnley | Nothin But Net System Engineering

http://www.netaxs.com/~cjf | (Philadelphia Area Computer Society)
ftp://ftp.netaxs.com/people/cjf | Design Science Revolutionary
"Dare to be Naive" -- Bucky Fuller | Explorer in Universe

Very Computer

Switching loaded server form Slackware to Debian

Switching loaded server form Slackware to Debian

Switching loaded server form Slackware to Debian