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You know what's the worst problem with ArchLinux on VPSes?
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You know what's the worst problem with ArchLinux on VPSes?

rm_rm_ IPv6 Advocate, Veteran
edited April 2013 in General

It's that it starts with A.
And hence it is selected by default as the first item in the OS selection box of WHMCS order forms of more providers than I could count or remember.
And from there perhaps hundreds or thousands of people end up with an ArchLinux VPS just because they didn't select anything else, and "went with the defaults", perhaps not knowing yet which OS is the best for them, so they just clicked OK to use the one that "was suggested by the provider".
Given how problematic Arch can sometimes be, is this really the best OS to direct all the newbies to?
(Yes I didn't reply ^in that thead, but felt this is important enough to note, that it deserved it's own thread. :)

Comments

  • There's just one? Shit always breaks and never works.

  • jarjar Patron Provider, Top Host, Veteran

    If you don't know how to pick the right operating system then you shouldn't be buying a VPS.

    Just kidding. If we alienate those who want to but don't know how, we alienate a large portion of our client base. A very common use for a VPS seems to be learning in the safety of a system that is easily wiped.

    So... agreed.

  • lazytlazyt Member

    Theres another reason to buy a VPS?

    Other then as a VPN to watch Hulu.

  • @rm_ : I'd hug you if I didn't fear catching some sort of disease

    @lazyt said: Theres another reason to buy a VPS?

    Yep. There's more than one other reason, too.

  • IntcsIntcs Member
    edited April 2013

    If you asked most providers (at least in my own experience) what OS to choose better? They will likely direct you to Centos and perhaps no just because they believe it's "good for webhosting", but could be as they bear in mind more possibility of offering you a cPanel license (more $$) as you're considered a newbie since you've asked anyway. So either case, I guess the client's mistake as well if he didn't ask in a ticket, or did a search.

  • Well, imo you would probably be best to direct new people to ubuntu/debian.
    P.S. I know ubuntu "is" debian but the ubuntu documentation may help a lot of new people as it is in depth and simple.

  • @BlackoutIsHere said: I know ubuntu "is" debian

    Whoa. Wrong.

  • edited April 2013

    @revnja said: Whoa. Wrong.

    I put "is" in quotes for a reason

  • Having used it on my laptop before, I appreciate Arch Linux and what it stands for. It's not something I'd use on a server though - you'd be asking for trouble. I believe it requires a bit more dedication from the user than some of the other distributions and somebody who only takes a look at their VPS every so often might end up disappointed.

    That being said, is it really that difficult to change the default selection to something else?

  • Could you not just name them with a number before the distribution name, to have them listed in the order you want?

    I'd start with minimal OS templates and then larger / custom / less chosen ones at the bottom.

  • jarjar Patron Provider, Top Host, Veteran

    The system we use with VirtPanel is interesting. No choice on order, have to login and pick operating system with a radio button. On the other side, we have no space for template description right now.

  • I always recommend Debian for beginners, most the Ubuntu documentation works on Debian anyway.

  • WHMCS ... yeah I think I've had a VPS not deployed because I was tired eyed buying in the middle of the night and didn't select an OS. Probably was a funky design with some color clash that blinded me :)

    So required manual human interaction the next day. WHMCS should be always set to select something by default. Easy enough to reinstall/blow whatever away.

  • @pubcrawler said: WHMCS ... yeah I think I've had a VPS not deployed because I was tired eyed buying in the middle of the night and didn't select an OS. Probably was a funky design with some color clash that blinded me :)

    So required manual human interaction the next day. WHMCS should be always set to select something by default. Easy enough to reinstall/blow whatever away.

    Easier way is just to not have Arch on the ordering page.

  • True, though Arch is on my must get up to speed list. Especially since Debian likes to take eons between major releases.

  • @pubcrawler said: Especially since Debian likes to take eons between major releases.

    Yes, but Debian usually does not break when you update it.

  • Oh yeah @MrAndroid? Run Deb6 and change sources to testing branch. Breaks tons, especially on desktop :) But I know, bleeding edge causes nose bleeds.

  • rm_rm_ IPv6 Advocate, Veteran

    @pubcrawler said: Run Deb6 and change sources to testing branch.

    Worked perfectly, just upgraded a VPS yesterday from Stable to Testing.

  • Well you got lucky @rm_. Testing works fine nearly always for server. Desktop GUI is another monster though. Could be my hardware, but I suspect it's just broken dependencies. End up with that issue too often in testing.

  • @pubcrawler said: Oh yeah @MrAndroid? Run Deb6 and change sources to testing branch. Breaks tons, especially on desktop :) But I know, bleeding edge causes nose bleeds.

    That's why its called testing :)

  • Yeppers @MrAndroid. But far too much old software at this point in Debian 6. Requires too many compiles and dependencies to do basic stuff with current software. I just hate compiling stuff, common stuff.

  • That it is not Windows?

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