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[nutballs]

continuing my quest for genius and evil plans, I was just thinking about something.

on a production machine, running any version of linux, is it generally a good idea to be running custom compiled versions of things like mysql and apache, which you have to do under OSx, or is it better to run the apt/yum/whatever packagemanged version of it?

reason i was thinking of this is that when things are patched, updated, fixed, you only have to run an update in the package manager, but in OSx, you need to compile.

thoughts?

[perkiset]

There are precompiled binaries out there for a lot of the things you'd run on OS-X, but I just compile them myself anyway, because I usually want something different than what's in the config of the already compiled versions. Apache, MySQL, PHP - they're all out there.

I have a shell script, configure.me which is in all of my downloaded source directories. It's different for all items I install on a box ie., a different one for mysql and apache. When I download an update I just copy the configure.me into the new downloaded directory and go. It's not as efficient as a package manager, but I feel as though I have a lot more control. I don't update all that often.

[vsloathe]

Linux would be better.

Unless you run OSX "headless" so to speak.

A server OS should NEVER, EVER, EVER have a gui. Period. Waste of resources. One of the reasons Windows servers suck so hard.

[perkiset]

Mac Minis, if there is no monitor attached automatically run headless. They fire up the GUI if you connect to them remotely via VNC or the Apple remote desktop connection. It's sweet and light.

<edit>Well, not entirely headless because there are kernel pieces alive *ready* for the connection, but you don't pay any price for processing of the GUI, only in RAM as the process sleeps. So it's not as light as a shell-only *nix box, but pretty damn good.</edit>

[nutballs]

i guess in the end it doesnt matter. though it does seem like with the compile-your-own option you have to pay more attention to the security notices. recompile is not a big deal of course if you have your config already created and just sitting there waiting for a new compile.