Good practices of running an Arch server

Llama · 2008-09-24 07:23:06

Hi,

I mean, how to make it run as uneventfully as possible? As a desktop user I make full system upgrades without a second thought; I know, that the penalty is going to be affordable, but a server is another cup of tea. With Debian stable, for instance, it's obvious: no uprgades at all, just security updates trickling. On the other hand, with rolling release distributions the security updates are intergated into the flow; refusing to upgrade I'm actually refusing the security upgrades too. Or so I think in my ignorance .

Any suggestions?

Allan · 2008-09-24 08:24:16

Suggestions:

1) Don't run [testing]
2) Keep an eye on forums/mailing lists for update problems
3) Look at the list of updates before installing them

I update my work server about once every week or two. If you update your desktop regularly, then you will know how long various packages have been around and hold off if you see potential problem causers.

CuleX · 2008-09-24 15:50:19

I ran Arch for almost two years here with constant updates. Never had any stability issues. Maybe some changed configuration files, but other distributions are just overwriting your hand-written configuration.

Just keep an eye out to the updates. There may be some you want to do in single steps. You may not want to overwrite your glibc and try to continue updating (Zenwalk, anyone?) or things like that. Be careful, but you can't do much wrong.

This machine here is our internal services machine, DNS, local FTP, local HTTP and thin client host. Works like a charm. Just try it.

Last edited by CuleX (2008-09-24 15:52:13)

jo3 · 2008-09-24 16:09:31

I have been running an arch powered LAMP for almost a year w/o any problems. Like Allen said watch the updates carefully. Also only run services/apps that are required to fulfill your servers roll.
Was that obvious?

Llama · 2008-09-25 00:29:40

Like Allen said watch the updates carefully.

Ah... It all boils down to this non-answer, then . LAMP server? Fine! What am I supposed to do if a new Apache is coming? To upgrade is asking for trouble, not to upgrade is postponing the trouble... Any rule of thumb?

Anonymo · 2008-09-25 02:09:04

upgrade once you make sure it works great. Usually people have an extra test machine or a virtual machine.

kant1 · 2008-09-25 18:59:51

A more detailed answer:

http://mychael.gotdns.com/blog/2008/09/ … ux-server/

pyther · 2008-09-25 22:53:06

Also try to run updates when you can afford downtime, or downtime would the least in convenient.

For example there was a recent update with spamassassin which changed the path of spamc, this caused my mail server to fail to deliver mail!
Granted this is a home server so it didn't hurt me at all, but things do break and if they break say 4:30 when everyone is heading home, your less likely to get as many people pissed, unlike if you would have updated at noon!

stefan1975 · 2008-09-26 07:33:36

I personally would just run a freebsd / centos server instead. Freebsd because it feels like the server-brother of Arch and Centos because it is RHEL's brother of fedora. I use fedora and ARch on my desktops because there I love the cutting/bleeding edge and like to tinker and have the latest and greatest break every now and then but for my servers I want something reeeaaaalllyy boring and stable and thus freebsd/centos. those are so boringly stable it just isn't funny anymore. centos 5.x is supported for decades to come and what is more important, no out-of-family kernel upgrades during it's lifetime. I recently switched my home server from centos to freebsd just for he fun of it and it feels really good, snappy, KISS everything one woud want.

but that is just my 2c, of course Arch can also run perfectly as a server as ong as you pay attention. Not to upgrade all the time isn't recommended (i started a thread about selective updates, release notes for updates some time ago and was told in not vague words that the devs expect you to update all the time and if you are not fully up to date the configuration is not supported here), but I *never* had any issues (yet?) after updating my Arch system.

stefan

crouse · 2008-09-26 22:04:31

I've ran several websites on Arch servers for over 2 years now..... only issue i had was forgetting to issue a /sbin/lilo command after a kernel update. (yes....that system had/has lilo not grub). I personally love using Arch as a server OS. I am however able to sustain the occasional reboot to install the new kernels without any problems, I don't have to have 5 year uptimes I usually update my servers at night, so any downtime isn't noticed much from my users. (It's usually only about 2 minutes anyway........).

On a side note, I usually update my desktop machines and THEN my servers ......... in case something breaks, it's my desktop that's affected not my server. I always leave the packages on the server so I can revert back to a previous version, of say php/mysql etc..... I also make regular backups of the /etc/ dir so I have copies of all my config files in case something goes bonkers.... not that it ever has

Some of the Devs might say NOT to use Arch as a server, but I personally think they are just being cautious for your sake....... I think it makes a GREAT server OS. The folks over at slicehost.com even have Arch as an OS option now ... so it's more than just ME using it as a server OS.

Ruckus · 2008-09-27 01:11:22

crouse wrote:

I've ran several websites on Arch servers for over 2 years now..... only issue i had was forgetting to issue a /sbin/lilo command after a kernel update. (yes....that system had/has lilo not grub). I personally love using Arch as a server OS. I am however able to sustain the occasional reboot to install the new kernels without any problems, I don't have to have 5 year uptimes I usually update my servers at night, so any downtime isn't noticed much from my users. (It's usually only about 2 minutes anyway........).
On a side note, I usually update my desktop machines and THEN my servers ......... in case something breaks, it's my desktop that's affected not my server. I always leave the packages on the server so I can revert back to a previous version, of say php/mysql etc..... I also make regular backups of the /etc/ dir so I have copies of all my config files in case something goes bonkers.... not that it ever has
Some of the Devs might say NOT to use Arch as a server, but I personally think they are just being cautious for your sake....... I think it makes a GREAT server OS. The folks over at slicehost.com even have Arch as an OS option now ... so it's more than just ME using it as a server OS.

I'm currently at VPSLink.com and they too offer Arch. I think it's great.

Arch Linux

#1 2008-09-24 07:23:06

Good practices of running an Arch server

#2 2008-09-24 08:24:16

Re: Good practices of running an Arch server

#3 2008-09-24 15:50:19

Re: Good practices of running an Arch server

#4 2008-09-24 16:09:31

Re: Good practices of running an Arch server

#5 2008-09-25 00:29:40

Re: Good practices of running an Arch server

#6 2008-09-25 02:09:04

Re: Good practices of running an Arch server

#7 2008-09-25 18:59:51

Re: Good practices of running an Arch server

#8 2008-09-25 22:53:06

Re: Good practices of running an Arch server

#9 2008-09-26 07:33:36

Re: Good practices of running an Arch server

#10 2008-09-26 22:04:31

Re: Good practices of running an Arch server

#11 2008-09-27 01:11:22

Re: Good practices of running an Arch server

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