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#1 2015-12-16 19:47:29

waliworld
Member
Registered: 2015-12-16
Posts: 12

Arch in Production

I've recently switched from debian-based systems for my dev environments (though I still use ubuntu base-images for my docker containers).

I've been using debian derivatives for basically forever, if it aint broke dont fix right? I've been playing with arch long enough to get comfortable with it and now Im thinking ill put it in production

Anyone here use arch for anything mission-critical? or even private system-stacks?

I started with Arch by replacing ubuntu on my personal media/storage server, while also switching to dockerized apps (transmission, plex, etc). You can imagine my surprise switching from apt-get to pacman. up-to-date packages! No futzing with work-arounds! I love it!

Last edited by waliworld (2015-12-16 20:07:41)

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#2 2015-12-16 20:15:57

Alad
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From: Bagelstan
Registered: 2014-05-04
Posts: 2,407
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Re: Arch in Production

Anyone here use arch for anything mission-critical? or even private system-stacks?

Xyne did...

https://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php … 44#p612344


Mods are just community members who have the occasionally necessary option to move threads around and edit posts. -- Trilby

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#3 2015-12-16 22:04:48

waliworld
Member
Registered: 2015-12-16
Posts: 12

Re: Arch in Production

Not quite my use case, the whole stack is dockerized so the underlying OS isn't that important, though feasibly one crappily tested image could result in a similar catastrophe. Though I don't answer to a board, the consequences would instead present themselves in the form of a dampened bottomline and layoffs. if anything though thats a gleaming gem of an endorsement towards the system itself.

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#4 2015-12-16 22:10:12

Trilby
Inspector Parrot
Registered: 2011-11-29
Posts: 29,442
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Re: Arch in Production

I use arch for two web servers.  One just for my own consulting business and general tinkering, so no loss if there are issues/downtime there - the other is for a fairly substantial project with a large user base, but also no board oversight or direct financial liabilities.  It is important that the site stays up and running, but if it crashes, all the data is backed up so that will not be lost - and we'll look pretty foolish, have a lot of angry people, and I'd look like a royal *** - but there would be no legal nor direct financial implications.


"UNIX is simple and coherent..." - Dennis Ritchie, "GNU's Not UNIX" -  Richard Stallman

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#5 2015-12-16 22:41:01

waliworld
Member
Registered: 2015-12-16
Posts: 12

Re: Arch in Production

There would be in my case, financial ramifications that is lol. Truthfully though its a matter of preferences that im even considering this. I build mostly hands-off web applications for a clients in industries with little-to-no IT backend support. Standard high-availability measures in place, minus caching (multiple load-balancing HTTP in front of multiple process-saturated Nodejs servers talking to a clustered DB backend) and Docker has made my work with this class of system-stack infinitely easier. Now, I'm content to use AWS's new Container EC2's in prod because E-Z, but I've run into to situations where clients want in-house solutions. I could leave well enough alone and use ubuntu like I always have or move to something like CoreOS but given how comfortable I've become with this system and the fact that I DO NOT want to maintain a heterogeneous environment (I specifically built my company and operations around the concept of employing machines over people so complexity would kill my upward mobility) its more likley I go with Arch.

Last edited by waliworld (2015-12-16 22:45:14)

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#6 2015-12-17 09:29:04

LCvanDinteren
Member
From: Netherlands
Registered: 2015-10-27
Posts: 153

Re: Arch in Production

I think Arch is as good as any a candidate for production. You just have to plan your updates carefully, perhaps even have a duplicate system where you test the updates first. Any system can break after an update, perhaps Arch a little more often than others, but I think the Arch community is much more competent and active, so any issues should be solvable in little to no time.

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#7 2015-12-18 02:16:19

waliworld
Member
Registered: 2015-12-16
Posts: 12

Re: Arch in Production

Yeah, Alad's link to Xyne's post said it best about how competency is key. And the Arch community as whole does seem quite active consider how niche arch is, which is always a plus.

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#8 2015-12-19 15:58:13

Alad
Wiki Admin/IRC Op
From: Bagelstan
Registered: 2014-05-04
Posts: 2,407
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Re: Arch in Production

It should be fairly obvious that post was a joke wink

Anyway, I typically refer to this thread, YMMV:

https://lists.archlinux.org/pipermail/a … 33791.html


Mods are just community members who have the occasionally necessary option to move threads around and edit posts. -- Trilby

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#9 2015-12-20 00:06:27

Allan
Pacman
From: Brisbane, AU
Registered: 2007-06-09
Posts: 11,365
Website

Re: Arch in Production

I work on the principle, if you have to ask whether to use Arch in a production setting, the answer is no...

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#10 2015-12-20 04:40:47

Archforum101
Member
Registered: 2015-12-11
Posts: 44

Re: Arch in Production

Jmo ... really comes down to having your poop together. Knowing your system(s) and needs. Having OS and data backup/restore n place, a fail-over solution etc etc. Personally don't have Arch installed on anything critical. Just started playing with ( again) on a laptop and like it, very nice OS imo for personal computing. Which kinda get the impression that's one of the main stated purposes of Arch = desktop gnu/Linux.

Would stick with Debian for anything of the sort of production. While I don't disagree it's totally possible to successfully do. Don't believe bleeding edge and mission critical should necessarily be used in the same sentence.

Again though, much of that is in x-nixers control. Who installs flashy gui's etc in a production environment ? So odds of borkage would no doubt fall dramatically in such a scenario of Arch lean and mean I guess. Also would kinda depend on what exactly you're wanting to do. Your idea of critical and mine could be totally different things. End of day though, nope ... Put up anything critical, it's a Debian stable life for me. smile

While don't doubt @ all Arch in the right hands ... almost certainly no problem in production. Debian stable or Arch in incompetent hands. Well ... kinda obvious what the likely result would be.

Last edited by Archforum101 (2015-12-20 04:45:33)

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#11 2016-02-02 15:30:38

Thomas_Do
Member
Registered: 2011-08-12
Posts: 65

Re: Arch in Production

I use Arch also on my main desktop system at work. However, the system is mirrored to a second partition. In case there are update issues, I can boot the backup system and solve the problem later.  Actually, this does not happen very often (1-2 times/year).

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#12 2016-02-13 12:46:11

yodermk
Member
Registered: 2012-07-17
Posts: 86

Re: Arch in Production

Arch is wonderful in so many ways, but IMHO it would be very difficult to make the case that it should be in a prod environment where there is high liability at stake. As noted above, it does break significantly more often than distros like Debian or RHEL. Also, is there a way to ensure that no update is applied to a prod server unless it is thoroughly vetted on a test server? RHEL certainly has that, and you really need it.  Maybe you could do the "pacman -Syu" on a test server, then sync the pacman cache to the prod server after everything looks good and just "pacman -Su" in prod.

Also, prod servers need to be reproducibly and easily built.  Not sure that you can really say that with Arch as easily as, say, CentOS or Debian or even Fedora.  I might actually consider using Fedora in a prod environment as long as everything is in config management and a full suite of tests is run before deploying any new version.

[I use CentOS in prod and Fedora as my "other" desktop.]

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#13 2016-02-13 13:01:03

Trilby
Inspector Parrot
Registered: 2011-11-29
Posts: 29,442
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Re: Arch in Production

yodermk wrote:

Maybe you could do the "pacman -Syu" on a test server, then sync the pacman cache to the prod server after everything looks good and just "pacman -Su" in prod.

An easier way:
Production: pacman -Syuw
Test: pacman -Syu # followed by any pacnew merging, compensations for php version changes, etc and testing
Production: pacman -Su


"UNIX is simple and coherent..." - Dennis Ritchie, "GNU's Not UNIX" -  Richard Stallman

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#14 2016-04-15 19:18:47

GermanyChris
Member
From: Southern Germany
Registered: 2013-10-14
Posts: 60

Re: Arch in Production

I'm not feeling Arch on anything that no sh*t has to work.


Don't scab for the bosses Don't listen to their lies Poor folks ain't got a chance Unless they organize --Florence Reece

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#15 2016-04-15 19:29:31

Alad
Wiki Admin/IRC Op
From: Bagelstan
Registered: 2014-05-04
Posts: 2,407
Website

Re: Arch in Production

You're reviving an old thread with a completely useless comment. Good job sir.


Mods are just community members who have the occasionally necessary option to move threads around and edit posts. -- Trilby

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#16 2016-04-15 19:41:49

ewaller
Administrator
From: Pasadena, CA
Registered: 2009-07-13
Posts: 19,739

Re: Arch in Production

Yeah, I think this thread has reached its logical end.  Closing


Nothing is too wonderful to be true, if it be consistent with the laws of nature -- Michael Faraday
Sometimes it is the people no one can imagine anything of who do the things no one can imagine. -- Alan Turing
---
How to Ask Questions the Smart Way

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