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I am about to change distro. Dont get me wrong, Fedora is the best... but it changes too fast. This year saw the FC12, and the FC13 mid-summer, the FC14 is due for Yule. Too fast for me . If I have to re-install, re-configure and re-figure-out every six months, I waste too much time. I do have projects to get done too, ya know...
So, in short:
What is your distro and how long have you had this particular install so far?
Ubuntu 10.04, have it for a week or so.
Debian Squeeze a month (supermicro server)
Debian Squeeze 3 months (storage server for video / music)
Ubuntu 9.xx (don't remember) on a multimedia computer
I'm changing too often ... . I allways install with a separate /home so I don't loose too much information. One advantage of reinstalling is that I know how to install all my software by hard .
I use Slackware. The Distro itself is not updated until Pat deems it ready. But when it is, it's one of the most stable systems you can get. The only problem maybe for you that Slackware doesn't have dependency installing automatically. Personally I like this way better. But Slackware doesn't have a specific schedule to be released so it may be a while.
Desktop updates are provided for 12 months (desktop environments, browsers, major apps).
Base system & components updates are provided for 18 months (Linux kernel, Apache, etc.).
At certain times, Mandriva may choose to extend updates support for certain versions of Mandriva Linux.
Some products may benefit from an extended maintenance offering, for 18 more months.
As you see, I use Fedora, but I've never felt the need to adopt every new version. I always wait to see what sort of reaction a new edition gets, and I check whether it has anything in it that I need. Actually, I'm expecting to move to CentOS 6 when it comes out.
Have a look at OpenSuse. It has a longer life cycle, but is not too dissimilar in feel to Fedora.
Thanks all of you. There is a mix here, short, long. I Use FC10, and am glad to see I'm not alone...
The question folds around security updates. If I'm pretty safe on the Net, is a new install really needed?
I'll download Arch and see what that does. I just tried Debian's netinstall but there seems to be a problem contacting mirrors...so I don't know what that is all about.
It's long(er) time use I'm looking for - I do NOT want to go back to hell...erhm...windows...
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Life cycles - how long is yours?
but it changes too fast. This year saw the FC12, and the FC13 mid-summer, the FC14 is due for Yule. Too fast for me 
. If I have to re-install, re-configure and re-figure-out every six months, I waste too much time. I do have projects to get done too, ya know...
.
