[MLUG] Win 2003 Vs Linux (from Discussion)

[Mike Miller <EMAIL:PROTECTED>]

On Wed, 7 Jun 2006, Jerry Gamblin wrote:

> How often do you patch your Linux servers compared to your Windows 
> servers?

I guess they aren't Windows *servers* but they will reboot automatically 
in response to certain updates.  This is annoying.  I would rather find a 
way to have the machine tell me it wants to reboot and not just do it, but 
if I recall correctly, that wasn't one of my options.


> I run the update utility on my CENTOS Server Friday mornings and install 
> every update (yeah I know I could cherry pick only upgrades I want/need 
> but I don't) and about 75% of the time at least one of them "ask" for a 
> reboot. So I reboot the machine about 3 times a month.

I don't understand why it requests a reboot.  The beauty of the Linux/UNIX 
architecture is that the software is separated from the kernel so that you 
shouldn't need to reboot the kernel to update the software.  Windows is 
different.

A few months ago our IT guys wanted to reboot our Linux machine.  I asked 
them why.  They told me.  I told them that I didn't think that required a 
reboot.  They found out I was correct and we did not reboot.  I think we 
just needed to restart some service.  It might be easier for someone to 
tell you to reboot than to tell you how to restart needed services, but 
that approach just isn't acceptable when you have 20 people all running 
important jobs at once on the server.  I only reboot when it is needed for 
security reasons.


> I do the same thing every second Tuesday of the month on my windows 
> server and reboot (again I apply every patch that comes out since it is 
> a home machine).
>
> I think this is about how 95% of people handle upgrades on their 
> systems, they just install all the upgrades/patches that come out. Now 
> we can start the circular argument the Linux is more secure because they 
> patch more often.

I think we can agree that frequency of patching is largely irrelevant to 
security.  The lag time between vulnerability discovery and patch 
availability is important though, and I think Linux beats Windows on this. 
Also, seriousness of bugs is really important, not just number of bugs. 
Linux comes up with tons of little things that aren't that important, so 
it may come across as having more vulnerability.

I just don't believe that the Linux patches require reboots.  I think only 
kernel upgrades should require reboots.  Someone please correct me and 
explain this if I am not correct.

Mike

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