On 07/09/13 06:13, M Saunders wrote:
Hi all, I'm writing a feature about Arch for Linux Format, a UK-based newsstand Linux magazine. I've been using Arch myself for a while for testing new app releases, and it's brilliant for that purpose. I'm still left wondering though: who uses it on production servers? I mean, the distro's overall simplicity and trimmed-down base installation are plus points here, but surely a rolling release poses problems. After installation you just want security and critical bug fix updates for software, and not major version bumps, right? www.archserver.org seems to be on hold, and I've also seen this page: https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Enhancing_Arch_Linux_Stability which has some useful tips. But it'd be interesting to hear from people running Arch on production servers, how well it works for them and what (if any) problems they've faced. Thanks! Mike
I run two production Arch server boxes. I update them each about twice a month unless I hear about a vulnerability in a critical internet facing component on the system (WordPress, etc).
I just make sure to do it on Fridays and Saturdays. If something goes wrong, it can often take a little more time to back out than a traditional distribution. As a security professional, I appreciate always being up to date and having more detailed control over exactly what code is on my system. I have massively reduced my exposure to flaws in packages included by the distro that I never needed or even wanted.
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