stable Linux. Truth or Myth?
Code Red
Posts: 2
I want to know if there is any such thing as a stable desktop Linux distro, or is it just a myth? Since I started playing with Linux I've probably tried more than a dozen different flavors on about a dozen different platforms. I can't be real specific because each one had its own problems; but for example, I've just re-installed Linux Mint 11. Within an hour, Firefox crashed without warning or explanation and shortly after that, The OS itself crashed hard and I had to restart the computer. These are typical problems I've had with Linux since I started playing with it more than 10 years ago. I would really like to use Linux to replace my Mac, but so far I haven't found one that I can count on. Is there a reliable distro? Or is there a way to make a buggy distro more reliable? So far I've tried most of the popular ones: Red Hat, Fedora, openSUSE, Ubuntu, Mint, Linspire, and a few others that I can't recall at the moment. Of all of them, Mint 6 was my favorite, but each successive version seems to get more buggy.
Comments
The issues you had with firefox crashing then having the crash effect the OS sounds very strange, have you verified that your hardware is working properly by running a memtest and running a Hard Drive test to confirm that neither of those are damaged?
Which operating system, has no flaws? Answer: Whether it's Linux, Apple based or Microsoft the answer is None.
I need to correct you. Debian is stable because they are very conservative on their stable branch which often uses very old software. Ubuntu is based off of Debian unstable and pushes many beta level software which leads to many short lived bugs and increased instability.
The most stable and secure version of Linux distros are very conservative and generally have longer release cycles, such as Red Hat (not Fedora), Debian Lenny and Slackware. In general the version meant for desktops tend to push packages quicker to compete on what is the latest and greatest, when in comparison the distros listed above wait longer and test packages more before pushing them to the customer which is why they are most often used to productions servers.
Now, I do have to agree about all operating systems having flaws. As with anything in life, you must choose the right tool for the job, if any operating system does not do exactly what you need and/or expect then spend some time researching and testing alternatives to make an informed decision.
I have chosen Slackware because in my experiences the auto-dependency resolution and package managers of the other distros tend to do more harm than good by making assumptions which can be wrong. Slackware does not do that, it expects the user to manually manage all dependencies which requires more research and leads to increased knowledge about the core system, which is why some people say that any problems with Slackware are your fault because you mis-configured something.
If you really wanna be in control, use something ala gentoo or source-mage
As for the topic, I'd give a try to stable linux distros like Red Hat(CentOS) or Opensuse
Regards
I'm in the middle of upgrading to Ubuntu 11.10 right now. So grab yourself a cup of Ubuntu (11.10 Lastest and Greatest or 10.10 Long Term Support version). You will love either one.
If you do find a system that works well for you, stick with it.
Correct me if I am wrong, but isn't Arch a rolling release with a large quantity of beta and dev software?
Oh, I forgot, Debian squeeze is another one. VERY good one. In fact try this first. It also uses stable software and version releases. You do have the option to use experimental and proprietary software.
There are a few machines knocking around at my place that haven't been reinstalled in +/- three years and haven't given a day's trouble (even when they've been messed about by Windows apps running under WINE). If I get a reproducible crash situation I tend to start with hardware or something I'VE done rather than a problem in the OS.
This isn't me banging the Linux drum but I reckon you'd have to go a long way to find something more stable.
I doubt there's any beta/dev software in Archlinux (unless you get to the "unstable" repos). Arch only gets latest stable releases
For example, in Fedora, if you decide to use the Nvidia proprietary drivers and don't follow the instructions that are in the forum, and, choose to use the .run file from the Nvidia website, you're certain to wind up with a broken system. Or, another example, is downloading OpenOffice or LibreOffice from their website instead of installing it from the Fedora repo, you can also run into problems. I'm not saying folks shouldn't experiment, but just realize that if you don't RTFM, occasionally you'll get bitten.
Sometimes when main features go through major revisions, such as, the switch from KDE3 to KDE4, or, the switch from Gnome2 to Gnome3, or, even the introduction of Unity by Ubuntu, the stability of the version that features that change drops until all the bugs are ironed out, but, these changes don't happen very often, so, saying that there's a problem with stability in Linux distros isn't a correct assessment.
As a matter of practice I use distros that skirt the bleeding edge so I can test and file bugs, and, even though I run distros based Debian Sid or run Fedora with the testing repos enabled, I've had very few instances of instability in the years I've been using Linux.
It's all a matter of how you use you're system as to whether it remains stable or not. Most distros take great care in not releasing unstable versions of apps into their main repositories.
Oh well, I guess I have a lot more work to do. In the meantime, I dusted off an old laptop--with a corner broken off of it--that seems to run just fine on Mint 9.
I use it as my personal OS for my laptop. If I use Windows, morning the laptop works faster, and by afternoon or by evening, it gets slow, and gets sloppy. This is the issue with inconsistency with Windows usually. Also besides any crashes.
So in general if you use Linux instead, if you see any inconsistencies it is due to Apps. sometimes. But your system should be perfect, even if you do not reboot for a week. So that is how stable it should be usually.
I suggest Ubuntu in general for your desktop use. Since it has more tested application updates.
Best wishes !