Suitable distro for my home server
 

Hi all. I am trying to decide what distro to use on my homeserver. Currently I use Arch, and it works ok. There are some bugs that pop up now and then though, and I dont feel completely comfortable with it in the long run.

I use my server for the following: File & printserver(samba), Webserver(nginx+uwsgi for python webapps), minecraft, cod4, mumble, torrent downloading(transmission).

I would like to use Debian, but the age of included packages always bugs me. For example, Python 3.3 doesnt even exist in Sid yet.

Ubuntu is better in that respect, I have a feeling it is the most suitable distro but I would prefer another one if possible. I like systemd better than upstart and also have written some service files. Wouldnt be so much work to rewrite them for upstart but still..

Are there any other suggestions? I have gotten the idea that Opensuse and Centos are more problematic to upgrade between releases than the debian-based family. Is that still correct?

So to summarize: Rolling-release or easy to upgrade between releases with fairly recent packages. Systemd-based. Fairly good testing of packages. Preferably packages that are not modified much from upstream. And also would be nice if the amount of micromanagement is on a level closer to debian than arch.

What do you think, anyone can suggest my dream serverdistro? ;)

Using python as an example, ubutnu isnt any 'better' than debian, and in some ways worse.

Debian 7- Python 2.7.3.
Testing- 2.7.5

Ubuntu 12.04- 2.7.3
13.04- 2.7.4

CentOS 6.4- 2.6.6

IMO you would have to be crazy to use ubuntu non-LTS releases for a server. The support length is too short. Yes, you could upgrade 12.10 -> 13.04 -> 13.10 (etc.) but that is creating a lot more work for yourself and possible upgrade issues.

Well tested packages or current. Take your pick, you cant have both. Thats why distros like CentOS have older versions of python, they value very well tested packages and stability over newer versions.

Hi there,

exactly, and then you would ask yourself: Why use Ubuntu for a server, a Debian derivative, instead of Debian itself, which updates smoothly over time ("rolling release")?

[X] Doc CPU

We have a big discussion of "which server distro?" every year here on LinuxQuestions. Here is the most recent thread: http://www.linuxquestions.org/questi...ar-4175441845/

I think Debian would be a good choice for you. If you need newer versions of any software (like Python for example) then you are of course free to install it; just because a distro offers nice stable well-tested (i.e. older) software by default doesn't mean the user is blocked from upgrading packages individually. In fact this is part of what "open source" is all about. :)

True, the package is called python3 for the latest version tho, and ubuntu 13.04 is slightly ahead there. I wouldnt be so picky with version numbers otherwise, but 3.3 has improvements in regards to porting from 2.x, so there are libraries only targeting 3.3+

I was thinking more in line with maybe a month of testing but I see what you mean :)

Thanks for your answers everyone, I might go with Debian after all then

Debian stable is not a rolling release.

Debian sid and testing are rolling (wthough the freeze on testing before its released as stable means its non-rolling at some times).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rolling_release

IMO rolling releases are OK for the expereinced linux user, or someone who doesnt mind dealing with the occasional breakage to learn. But they are not so good for servers. You never know if package XXX 1.1 will work with everything else the way that XXX 1.0 does, there is often large amounts of updates to install on a regualr basis, much higher maintenance time and effort, and possible security issues.

Not often that happens, but it does happen sometiems. Normally the non-LTS ubuntu releases just take the current debian sid packages, add the ubuntu stuff and update a few 'big name' items to the latest version (eg firefox).

If you have some need for python 3.3+ then its getable. BTW, python 3.3.0 is in debian 'experimental'. Backporting that to stable is possible. Just another option to a manual install.

I tend to be wary of manual installation or backporting a newer version of any package unless you know you need it, or it solves some major problem you are currently facing.