2023-05-19 The choice of OS. == History For more than a decade 'we' (I, for work and home; servers, desktops and laptops) have used Scientific Linux, or occasionally FreeBSD when easy laptop support and proprietary 3rd-party support are not issues. Scientific Linux is(was) a RedHat Enterprise Linux 'clone' (rebuild), of the 'bug for bug compatible' type. It was built by CERN/Fermilab for internal use, but made available publicly. (Previously, up to about 2010/2011, I used mainly Gentoo Linux, which is very quick-changing, involves compilation of everything, and was therefore causing trouble with wasted time on updates, blocked updates due to little incompatible changes of packages, and the hassles of new and dysfunctional KDE/kmail etc causing troubles in use.) Rationale for Scientific Linux (as it was back around 2010): - Why a RHEL-like system at all? * 'Boring, oldish-version software' with long supported lifecycle: should be able to use for years (e.g. 10) without intervention; therefore, actually get some work done. * Market situation feels stable: unlikely to go away soon, as many large users. * Commonly supported by hardware manufacturers e.g. National Instruments drivers (when available for Linux-based systems at all). * Likewise, commonly supported by technical programs such as CST Studio, Ansys Maxwell (sort of), besides Matlab, Comsol. - Why Scientific Linux (SL) versus other RHEL rebuilds (in particular, at the time, CentOS)? * Talk of friction in CentoOS community's leadership ... doubt about future (later resolved). * CERN/Fermilab are big - huge investments, not going to go away in next 10 years, and need the OS for their work. * Atom-logo nicer than Centos-thing. Side-point: Why not RHEL itself? I.e. why use a "rebuild" that doesn't pay subscription to the useful company RedHat? - Home use: Not wanting to pay -- no need of the service part of the subscription. The hat logo is silly compared to the atom. - Work use: Also no need of the service part. Nice to give subscription to help the company making the distribution, when it's not my own money...; I did in fact use RHEL itself on some servers around 2010--2015, but then, typically, we had a period when the organization's central contracting about RHEL subscriptions had a glitch (a provider pulling out? - never really understood), leaving us without updates for some summer months, which is a ridiculous situation. Also, not fond of having systems remotely managed (though doubtless that could have been changed). == Hitches/changes. 1. CERN/Fermilab decide before RHEL 8 that they will stop Scientific Linux after version 7 (end of RHEL 7 support is 2024). They will instead use CentOS, avoiding perceived pointless duplication of work. 2019-04 https://listserv.fnal.gov/scripts/wa.exe?A2=SCIENTIFIC-LINUX-ANNOUNCE;11d6001.1904 2. Then CentOS, having been acquired by RedHat, itself acquired by IBM, announced a change from being an exact rebuild of a RHEL release, to being a changing ('stream') version a little advanced from the RHEL releases. Last date before becoming 'stream' is end of 2021. This gets a lot of negative excitement, and many users the compatibility and stability of ~10-year lifecycle with 3rd-party support. == Options now, 2023. As of 2022/2023, for home and work computers, I have to choose... Why RHEL-derived system at all? - Still the advantages considered earlier: long lifecycle, stable, highly supported by 3rd-party, RedHat is a quite big company expected to continue in business. - Unfortunately, near-dependence on some proprietary things (by various users: CST, Matlab, Comsol, Zoom, etc) rules out FreeBSD on many systems. Which rebuild to use .. or use RHEL itself? - Not RHEL itself: for home, don't want subscription; for work, too much hassle getting/keeping such, due to admin system. - There are several choices of RHEL rebuild, including: Springdale Open Enterprise Linux: long-standing, from Univ Princeton maths / IAS, used by me since 2019. Oracle Linux - big company behind it, but not totally confident how long they'll openly provide it. Rocky Linux - a split from CentOS when the change to CentOS stream was announced ~2020. Alma Linux - also formed when the change to CentOS stream was announced - it has a large community including support from many large companies involved in cloud etc. My thoughts in 2022 were that: Springdale is rather nice for its extra repositories. It seems to have servers only in New Jersey (Princeton and IAS) as the listed German one is down. Whether its producers will some day give up and simply use another rebuild, like CERN moving to CentOS in 2019, is another matter. It seemed fine as a choice for own laptop etc., which is easily changed if needed. AlmaLinux seems most likely to be there in the longer term, and has many, fast, mirrors; it seemed the best choice for everything, basically, except perhaps an own-computer where the subdued Springdale logo and extra repositories would be nice. After more experience in 2023, the virtue of fast updates was seen! AlmaLinux is very fast at following RedHat. Laptop with Springdale had update problems connected to KDE/Plasma, because EPEL repository has updated packages for RHEL 9.2 version. RedHat appears to have release 9.2 on 10/May/2023. AlmaLinux quickly followed, also 10/May. Springdale didn't seem to even by 17th - there is a populated 9.2 directory on its servers (dates ~12 or 13/May, as seen on 19/May), but no direct link to installation sources. Too late now to check what happens from "dnf distro-sync" since back on 17/May it wasn't getting updated, and I changed it to AlmaLinux. --------------------------------------------------------------- CONCLUSION: AlmaLinux everywhere (if not FreeBSD). Fast following of RHEL new versions. Fast and plentiful mirrors. Big community including serious users who need it to work. --------------------------------------------------------------- == Interested to see that this seems the way CERN has gone too -- reassuring. 2022-12-10 https://linuxiac.com/cern-and-fermilab-opt-for-almalinux-as-standard-for-big-science/ 2023-01-20 https://indico.cern.ch/event/1224843/contributions/5195885/attachments/2574188/4438589/GDB%20Meeting%2011%20January%202023.pdf "Change of the recommended Linux distribution at CERN and Fermilab, 2023-01-11" Decision is: RHEL itself as an option, with contract to 2029 (not clear when this would be "needed" for licensing specific RH add-ons for storage etc?). AlmaLinux also, as a general option for: backup plan in case of later contract troubles; general use if not having special need of RHEL itself; collaboration (others wanting it free). ==