Re: Beta-testing and the glibc 2.1 (Was: Missing ldd? Have libc6 on hold? Get ldso from slink...
> > > If you need your machine for "real work" then you shouldn't be running
> > > unstable.
> >
> > If debian unstable isn't tested on machines used for real work,
> > debian is going to end up a toy distribution which is only suitable for
> > work on systems which aren't appropriate for real work.
>
> If your only PC to do "real work" on is running an ever-changing,
> developer-suited version of Debian, then you're really asking for some
> "mission-critical" failures. Not having at least a fairly recent backup
> before upgrading critical libraries is ridiculous, and it doesn't take a
> developer to know that (I offer myself as evidence on that point).
Okay, let's not turn this into a flame war. My point is that
breakages in unstable are *REALLY BAD THINGS*. Yes, they happen, but the
attitude that this one comes with is one of "it's your problem for trying
unstable, not ours". If you manage to alienate the community of people
who do real work, debian won't be tested on real work machines and won't
be as stable as it should be. You haven't addressed this point.
Oh, and my 20 gig DDS is in the shop. Sorry, telling people "back
up often" is getting less realistic. The fact is, my important stuff is
backed up in five places, but reinstalling is still a pita.
> Hell, I got bit by a similar problem when Slink had been frozen for
> several weeks (that __register_frame_info business). I had a backup; one
> rescue floppy and a massive 'tar -zxvpf' later, I was back in business.
>
> Yes, potato needs to undergo real-world testing. So if you have an extra
> machine, run your real work in parallel on potato and slink. But to place
> so much trust in others' testing that you'll put your vital stuff solely
> on potato is probably overoptimistic and misguided.
Most people don't have that extra machine sitting around.
-Seth
--
"It is by will alone I set my mind in motion"
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