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Question about Linux and version #'s

N

nitsuj3580

Platinum Member
I'm interested in trying out Linux. I have a little experience with it but now I have more free time so would like to get more into it.

I just had a quick question about versions of a Linux distribution. For example, if I download and install Red Hat 8.0, then a few months down the road 8.1 comes out. Is the update from .0 to .1 like a Service Pack for Windows? Will I be able to download and install stuff that makes my .0 install equivalent to a .1 so I can stay updated?

I've also heard that .0 versions are buggy. Should I wait for .1, .2, or .3 or is again just simply updating Red Hat like you would windows with a service pack. Thanks
 
Red Hat 8.0 uses RedHat Network, which is kinda like Windows update, and will download new versions of programs when they need to be updated.
 
Since all a distribution is is a collection of programs bundled together along with maybe a few enhancements, I don't see why you should necessarily wait for a .1 release to come out before upgrading. Red Hat 8.0 works great and, really, many of the programs stay the same from release to release, the minor versions change things like major security updates, apache, perl, etc.
 
Originally posted by: nitsuj3580
I'm interested in trying out Linux. I have a little experience with it but now I have more free time so would like to get more into it.

I just had a quick question about versions of a Linux distribution. For example, if I download and install Red Hat 8.0, then a few months down the road 8.1 comes out. Is the update from .0 to .1 like a Service Pack for Windows? Will I be able to download and install stuff that makes my .0 install equivalent to a .1 so I can stay updated?

I've also heard that .0 versions are buggy. Should I wait for .1, .2, or .3 or is again just simply updating Red Hat like you would windows with a service pack. Thanks
Click to expand...
No it's not like a service pack at all. Since Linux distributions are a collection of software from hundreds of sources, each release usually contains scores of individual application updates. While you certainly can individually upgrade many of those applications manually, you can also cleanly upgrade from 8.0 to 8.1. Generally speaking, Linux OS upgrades are much cleaner than Windows OS upgrades, except I don't believe you can rollback the upgrade.

Red Hat .0 versions are notoriously buggy, but 8.0 appears pretty respectable. Personally, if you don't need it right away and you know for a fact 8.1 is imminent, then waiting a short time period will save you an upgrade and extra downloading. That doesn't seem to apply here because 8.1 is probably a couple months or more away.

Regardless of version, Red Hat up2date will cover security issues and critical bug fixes (until a version is retired aka end-of-life'd).
 
Linux is just a kernel. Red hat is said kernel with a bunch of packages thrown in so you aren't scratching your head and say "Huh...well this is useless". So regardless of version, you should be able to dl and update you packages manually.
 
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