[GTALUG] Red Hat Paywall...

[o1bigtenor]

On Tue, Jun 27, 2023 at 10:22 AM D. Hugh Redelmeier via talk
<talk at gtalug.org> wrote:
>
> This Red Hat change concerns me.
>snip

>
>   It feels as if RH steers the future of Linux by making so many
>   contributions.
>
> - Ubuntu LTS + fresh Ubuntu has been pretty good.  I've had more
>   problems with package updates on Ubuntu than of Fedora, but it has
>   been pretty good.  Distro version upgrades have been good but not
>   perfect in my modest experience.
>
>   Canonical has repeatedly acted in ways that offend or scare me.  So
>   Ubuntu, although easy, feels like a potential trap.

Found this to be true - - - - spent a lot of time a number of years ago
looking into LXD  - - - the snap environment is one that NEVER will
be seen here again if I can help it.

Canonical is, imo, desperately looking for ways to monetize their
brand - - - - - someone's just have to have more $$$$$$$$$.
>
> - debian Stable + Testing + Unstable.  I don't have much experience
>   with debian.  I fear that the lack of full-time paid engineers might
>   reduce the safety relative to RH (that could easily just be FUD).
>   debian's goals are good by me.
>
> So: I'm thinking of switching to debian.

I was with Debian for over 10 years - - - have now switched to
Devuan - - - thereby getting rid of another item of 'control'.
>
> I'd like to learn from others.  How do you choose to solve these
> problems?  Maybe some of them are non-problems.

The problem is that the small encroachments don't tend to isolate
- - they tend to grow - - - somewhat like microbes! (With similar results
in my experience!).
>
> ================
>
> Giles has a problem with needing a stable distro with a more recent
> FireFox.  I suggested, against my preferences, that this might be a
> perfect use for Snaps/Flatpacks.

Snaps are a system controlling adventure - - - be aware of this BEFORE
starting down that road. Haven't used flatpacks.

I find that browsers are needing updates almost on a daily basis.
Am wondering if there is a way of reducing the 'encroachment' of
the nefarious bits of cruft adhering to all browsers (at least as far
as I see).
>
> I wonder if I should be using a stable distro everywhere but with
> containerized upgraded packages where they matter.  I yet don't think
> so.
>
> The rest of my family uses Fedora on their workstations.  But they
> hate applying updates (even when I do the work).  They are way behind
> most of the time.  Maybe a stable distro + a fresh FireFox would be
> best for them too.

I've already been informed that if I weren't doing updates windows would be
applied post haste - - - something about the devil they know!!!! (Work systems
are all M$ Win!)
>
> How many other packages would I need to have fresher-than-stable?
>
> - support for newer hardware
>
> - compilers etc.
>
> - more pain-points would be discovered.
>
> ================
>
> A fundamental problem is that feature changes and bug fixes are
> usually mingled in upstream.  In some cases, it is a false
> distinction.  Few developers want to maintain a bunch of old releases.
> It is very hard for a distro to correctly separate these two, and yet
> that is required to maintain a stable distro.

I tend to run in debian's equivalent of 'testing'. Found over the last more
than 10 years that that was a reasonable compromise to stability  and
currentness.

HTH