Is there is Linux distro that specifically built to support in-place upgrades?

Hi,

Can anyone recommend a Linux distro that supports in-place upgrades from one version to the next? I’d like to setup a Linux server that I can continuously update and upgraded without having to rebuild the system over an indefinite number of years.

Thanks,
John

You are talking about a Rolling Release. Look at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rolling_release

I best know Debian types like aptosid, semplice and siduction. You need to be careful because when they go wrong, they tend to really go wrong and you need to know how to sort things out.

You might also look at "The Debian Administrator's Handbook" which you can download for free
http://debian-handbook.info/get/now/

Thanks! Getting the term "Rolling Release" is big help. I found a ton of info by searching for "Linux Rolling Release".

I think Arch is a "rolling release" distro that might be worth looking at.

You're not talking about a rolling release in fact.

What you want is a distro which does "in-place upgrades" - this is not really the definition of a rolling release.

A rolling release distro is never actually "released" as such. You download an installation snapshot, install the system - which is then in a constant state of flux. Such a distro is woefully unsuitable for a server - where you want stability above all else - and you said you want to run it on a server?

There are several distributions which allow upgrades from one release to the next, without reinstalling. Debian is probably the best example - and Debian stable is one of the most obvious choices for servers. When a new release occurs it's a matter of reading the release notes and upgrading.

Note: There are no guaranteed trouble free upgrades. Every upgrade scenario is different because it depends on what the user has installed and for a server it's always better to back up or run the new installation alongside, sandboxed, for as long as it takes to iron out any problems.

If you go for Debian Stable you need to ensure that your sources list says "stable" and not the current stable issue "wheezy".

Stable used to be "squeeze", now it is "wheezy" and, eventually, it will be "jessie" --but the sources list will work without specifying the name of the issue, just "stable".

arochester said:

If you go for Debian Stable you need to ensure that your sources list says "stable" and not the current stable issue "wheezy".

Stable used to be "squeeze", now it is "wheezy" and, eventually, it will be "jessie" --but the sources list will work without specifying the name of the issue, just "stable".

Click to expand...

This is actually very bad practice.

You should definitely use the release name, e.g. "wheezy" in your sources - using "stable" will result in a dangerous unplanned upgrade when there is a new release.

If you use the release name you will also get 1 additional year of support as "oldstable" (giving you more time to plan your upgrade and for the new stable release to settle down).