Slackware 15 — 10
Preparing to update computer systems is always a challenge. There is no possible way to conceive of every twist and turn with how the changes will affect systems and usage. To be fair, because software is so complex developers cannot foresee all effects either.
Updating computers in the house network from Slackware 14.2 to 15.0 has been slow but methodical. There has been nominal breakage along the way and many paper cuts. Solutions have been found for much of the aggravation but not everything.
Sounds encouraging except all of those systems are workstations and network clients. None do any heavy lifting in the house network.
The last system to be updated from Slackware 14.2 to 15.0 is the office desktop. For good reason. This system is the primary system used in the house network. This system also is the network file server, time server, DNS server, backup server, virtual machine host, etc.
Updating this system is the proverbial rubber meeting the road. A test partition has been used for some months to help gauge and test changes on the same hardware, but there remains the reality that a test partition is not the true environment and not everything can be tested or foreseen.
Having been through this charade many times, there is no way to avoid updating that final system without subsequent disruptions. Select a safe time when there are no network and computer needs, perform backups, reboot, take a deep breath, and begin.
Then scramble for many days watching for bugs, script failures, cron job hiccups, and other annoyances.
Never a fun time.
The mantra for a while will be that newer is not always better.
Something always breaks. Always.
Posted: Category: Usability Tagged: Slackware
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