[NTLUG:Discuss] [Bulk] Re: Why it can be argued MS is better than Linux (RANT!)

[Leroy Tennison]

Chris Cox wrote:
> Stephen Davidson wrote:
>   
>> Greetings.
>>
>>     
> ...
>   
>> I have just finished repairing a machine (Linux) that had suffered a 
>> hard drive failure several months back.  Not linux's fault, and that was 
>> a fairly easy fix.  The reason that I only now just finished repairing 
>> it is that I have been occupied with dealing with other Linux failures.  
>> The most recent of which was a printer port failure -- that took 6 weeks 
>> to find the workaround (Note: workaround -- not Fix) for.  And only for 
>> my printserver.  My laptop still does not recognize its printer port 
>> (both machines are OpenSuSE 10.0).
>>
>> Yesterday afternoon, due to several security advisories, I decided to 
>> apply the outstanding security patches for SuSE Pro. 9.2 to my server, 
>> located at a Colocation site downtown.  Mistake.  BIG Mistake.  By 2:00 
>> it was apparent that the system was not going to come back up w/o major 
>> intervention.  So, I good bye to spousal unit, and head out, with master 
>> disks in hand in case something was thoroughly corrupted and needed to 
>> be reinstalled.  Get downtown and over to server.  It was trying to do a 
>> fsck because none of the filesystems had been checked in the last 49710 
>> days.  20.4% through the fsck of /home, and it hangs.  Everytime.  Ok, 
>> that's what rescue disks are for, and I had brought mine.  Pop them in, 
>> run them, and everything works out smooth.  Woohoo, I think.  I will be 
>> home in time for dinner!  Reboot system, no checks in 49710 days, 
>> restarting checks.  Ok, no biggie, I think.  They passed the rescue 
>> disk.  Hung at 20.4%.  At least with MS, when one version of Scan disk 
>> says your filesystem is fixed, the others will as well.  So, rescue disk 
>> again.  Rescan.  Everything still ok.  Fine.  telinit 3.  No network, 
>> and messages about how the system can't find half the files it needs.
>>     
>
> When things go bad, either due to filesystem corruption or other
> problem usually caused by a hardware error or hw glitch, there's not
> too much you can do (and it's OS independent).
>
> Sometimes when dealing with faulty hardware, reboots can be a healthy
> thing.  Bad sectors can be caught before the count gets astronomically
> high (just one example).  Windows is pretty good about forcing
> periodic reboots.  Perhaps it is a hw reliability check/feature.
>
>
> ....
>   
>> I have never had this much trouble from my MS machines.  If things get 
>> so bad a reinstall is needed, 1.5 hours is the most I have ever had to 
>> spend, plus about the same for the services -- not 8 hours, and still no 
>> luck even getting the install to work.
>>     
>
> Well... I certainly sympathize, but I don't think it's a fair
> treatment of the two OS's.  It's possible that an errant user
> initiated configuration could have caused a problem, but I'll give
> you the benefit of doubt.  Really sounds hardware related.
>
> But, if you really feel that Microsoft gives you superior stability,
> I don't think anyone will stand in your way, even if we disagree.
>
> One thing I have learned using Linux is that hardware does fail.
> Something you don't notice as much when you're constantly rebooting
> and rebuilding things.  Just my own observation.
>
>
> _______________________________________________
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>
>   
I started to go down a couple of specific paths but decided that was the 
wrong direction.  You just started having this problem so the first 
question to ask is "What changed?".  Obviously, the patches.  I realize 
that they're security patches but try backing them out and see if 
everything is OK.  If it is then report the problem to the security 
patch announcer - one or more of the patches could be buggy.  You may 
have to work around the security issues for a while (if possible).  The 
only other option I can think of other than hardware is that the 
software representing the unpatched state has a serious bug allowing the 
problem you have to develop.