Debian stable is used in mission-critical systems around the world. Before any new upgrades are released for Debian stable, it is tested A LOT.

And it has a package manager.

So does Slackware.

Meh... OK.

I still like dependency resolution.

I just notice leopard as a mac. Actually bsd or mac are more stable than either debian or slack No? You have a mac so you can tell us ...

Oh god... so we have to get into this again?

Despite what you'd think, I did not choose this name because of Mac or OS X.

Furthermore, stereotyping me for a Mac fanboy is rather annoying. And rude. I believe Linux is a superior operating system in most aspects -- save for the availability of proprietary software -- and I will be getting a different computer ASAP.

What about Slackware for these kinda missions?

That's a question I am asking myself for a long time. I would really like to see Slackware in a high availability environment with high access rates. Has anyone tried this? I am fully aware that enterprises are eager to use long supported distributions with direct 24/7 support (in fact, I am working for one). As far as I can see there are still Slackware releases supported which are five years old or even older. However, it is not guaranteed how long this support will go on (even though I don't believe Slackware would fade even if volkerdi decides to stop development for whatsoever reasons). So of course, you don't have guaranteed support with Slackware as with RHEL for example. But a skilled admin should be able to keep a Slackware installation secure and fix security holes as they are found. Of course that might be easier with RHEL but it still is possible with Slackware. So I am really hoping to find somebody someday who is using Slackware on mission critical installations.

Slackware.com and the web store there had better be running on Slackware . I would count that as a "high availability environment with high access rates."

I guess we all have our opinions. When it comes to Linux stability I'd say neither is more stable over the other. I've been using both Slackware and Debian for years. When it comes to dependable and problem free, both Debian and Slackware are at the top.

I choose not to vote in this poll.

The performance of a good sword does not depend that much on the sword, but on the hand that wields it...

That being said, Slackware is like a good katana. Which is difficult to make: it requires a master to make the steel, another one for the forging and another one for the polishing. If someone can do all these things alone by himself, he's like a modern Masamune.

Debian is like a katana assembled in the Hobuse style. Slackware is more like Honsanmai, but if you can get its jewel metal raw and start working on it, it can be made in the Soshu Kitae... But of course you can do that with Debian too.

I would ask a kevlar saya for such a sword

In lightsaber combat terminology: Debian is like the Soresu style. Defensive, safe. Slackware is a bit like a makashified (elegant) Vaapad which also has the defensive advantages of Soresu. (how much bleeding edge, how much dark side, depends on the master).

are you some kind of ninja ??

whoaa...

i say debian is better because it is the base for many distributions , and for the most popular one , ubuntu .
but anyways , it is all about taste . as you all said ...

A distribution does not become better cause it's base for many others! And Ubuntu is nowhere near the slackware/debian stability for it to be even considered as a reason to choose over slackware or gloat about it IMO..

That I agree, plus the reliability.

The fact that Debian is the basis for many others speaks volumes about many things, but it doesn't have a thing to do with it's stability. Funny that you should mention Ubuntu in a thread about stability... it's one of the least reliable operating systems I have encountered. Ubuntu's popularity has more to do with marketing than anything else... Mark Shuttleworth over at Canonical can buy a couple of dozen good reviews with every new release, and everybody will be knocking themselves out to install it and ignore the ever-increasing buglist.

lol. Actually katanas were used by the Samurai, not by ninjas. Ninjas used improvised weapons, and their swords were only sharpened at the tip, because that's the only part they ever used and needed sharp

I guess he does have a point with the metaphor, but I'm thinking LFS is left out. There I guess you mine the metal ore, then forge it, and then sharpen it.