Re: support for RedHat distributions

[Martin Siegert <siegert@sfu.ca>]

Hi all,

I am receiving quite a few suggestions that request support for
Debian.

First some explanations how Linux support at SFU is "funded".
To be clear: I am not paid to provide Linux support to the campus;
my job is to provide support for research computing. For that purpose
we are running about 150 Linux machines. In order to support those
machines I need constantly patched Linux distributions for those
systems. I also need to provide timely security updates (you probably
know the scenario: if a Windows machine gets broken into, that is normal;
if a Linux machine gets broken into, it proves that Linux is the most
insecure OS on the planet and we therefore must ban it from campus).
At one point I decided that as a byproduct of that work I could provide
those patched distributions to the campus community and send out an email
everytime I come across a serious security hole. That's how those patched
RedHat distributions came into existence, and that's why we have a Linux
security mailing list.

Therefore: I can only provide distributions that I use myself or have
used myself in the past. Everything else would take up by far to much
of my time.

So why can't I support Debian? I actually do not know whether I can or
cannot. And that's already part of the problem: it requires time to
find out. When I listed the 3 alternatives those were the alternatives
that I could investigate within reasonable amount of time. Debian
would take much much more time. But, besides that: of crucial importance
is whether the distribution that I choose is supported by the commercial
software that I have to run. To be clear: if I cannot get a decent
Fortran compiler for a particular distribution, I cannot use that
distribution. It is as easy as that. If somebody knows, whether (or
to what extend) commercial software is supported under Debian
(e.g., Portland Group compilers, NAG libraries, etc.) I will look
into the feasibility of using Debian.
Furthermore, a large number of software packages is delivered in
rpm form. Is it correct that there is now some support for rpm
packaged software in Debian?

I hope that some of the Debian experts can supply me with this imformation.
Thanks!

Cheers,
Martin

-- 
Martin Siegert
Manager, Research Services
WestGrid Site Manager
Academic Computing Services                        phone: (604) 291-4691
Simon Fraser University                            fax:   (604) 291-4242
Burnaby, British Columbia                          email: siegert@sfu.ca
Canada  V5A 1S6