Re: [Gnumed-devel] Re: Which distributions (distros) of Linux are recommended for GnuMed?

[Jim Busser]

Although Karsten and Sebastian are satisfied with SUSE (and it is what 
my local IT people have contemplated installing) I am wondering whether 
for a "fresh / from scratch" installation that doctors will actually 
use, it is better to recommend Debian?

I am wondering the above, ignoring any biases Andrea could be expected, 
on these additional grounds:

1. Debian is the distro more likely to achieve and maintain a full set 
of packaging (whether because of Andreas - with thanks - or whether 
because of the state of Debian or the way the project is run)

2. The IT support people that are available to future GnuMed users will 
vary in their expertise at installing from source. Even when they are 
ABLE to do it, they will post-install have to do configuration that may 
have already been done for them, had they gone with the installer 
(costing the doctor more time and support $)

3. Unless any documentation of how to install from source is kept 
synchronized with what is done by the packages, it will be possible to 
introduce (unnecessary) variances that will bog things down as people 
try to help installation X figure out why it does not run or is 
behaving oddly.

Does the above make a case for installation from a debian package being 
preferable to downloading and installing from source?

Should it be easy, and advantageous, to advocate for IT people to 
download, examine and learn from a debian package as an alternative or 
adjunct to installing from source if for some reason installing from 
source is a good idea?