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Really the only major things that annoy me[1] about using ubuntu LTS as a server are: - The fact that packages which install server software autostart the serv

Really the only major things that annoy me[1] about using ubuntu LTS as a server are: - The fact that packages which install server software autostart the server on install, and the mechanism to disable this can vary package to package. I'd rather install-configure-then-start than install-disable-configure-then-start. - The mechanisms for setting options for packages to be installed are geared towards interactive use. You have to disable it popping up a curses dialog, and I don't think there's an easy way to pre-configure them so you just wind up with defaults if you do. - The version of upstart in 12.04 is really limited, and the mix of packages using old and new style init can be frustrating at times. [1] Perspective check: I'm mostly a software developer, but I also admin my own servers for personal projects as well as having it as a peripheral aspect to my job at times.

riskable 13y ago
Wow. I am the author of a popular app-that-runs-as-a-daemon and I just went through a HUGE debate with some folks about whether or not my package should auto-start on boot by default. I eventually settled on this: If you're using Upstart you get auto-start by default. For everything else you'll have to turn on auto-start at boot via whatever mechanism is normal for your distribution. That means for Ubuntu you get auto-start on boot the moment you install the package. For Debian you'll use update-rc.d and for RHEL-based distros you'll use chkconfig. I have no idea if I made the right decision though since there's no standard. Sometimes it annoys the hell out of me that a package configures itself to start at boot and other times I wish it did auto-configure itself to start at boot. It all depends on the package and what I want the server to do (primarily).
- stormbrew 13y ago
  One of the nice things about upstart is that it helps this situation out a lot. Disabling a service before you install the package is as simple as creating a /etc/init/servicename.override file with "manual" in it. Unlike some other solutions (like placing a full configuration file before install) this doesn't trigger a conflict with the package installation. The thing is that for a desktop user, starting the service is fine. A lot of the time it's what you want. And that's Ubuntu's main raison d'etre. Also note that autostarting when installing is different from autostarting when booting. It's the former that I find frustrating, not so much the latter. Generally speaking, I have plenty of opportunity to tweak the boot behaviour between installing and rebooting (assuming the server ever reboots at all).

riskable 13y ago

Wow. I am the author of a popular app-that-runs-as-a-daemon and I just went through a HUGE debate with some folks about whether or not my package should auto-start on boot by default. I eventually settled on this: If you're using Upstart you get auto-start by default. For everything else you'll have to turn on auto-start at boot via whatever mechanism is normal for your distribution. That means for Ubuntu you get auto-start on boot the moment you install the package. For Debian you'll use update-rc.d and for RHEL-based distros you'll use chkconfig. I have no idea if I made the right decision though since there's no standard. Sometimes it annoys the hell out of me that a package configures itself to start at boot and other times I wish it did auto-configure itself to start at boot. It all depends on the package and what I want the server to do (primarily).

stormbrew 13y ago
One of the nice things about upstart is that it helps this situation out a lot. Disabling a service before you install the package is as simple as creating a /etc/init/servicename.override file with "manual" in it. Unlike some other solutions (like placing a full configuration file before install) this doesn't trigger a conflict with the package installation. The thing is that for a desktop user, starting the service is fine. A lot of the time it's what you want. And that's Ubuntu's main raison d'etre. Also note that autostarting when installing is different from autostarting when booting. It's the former that I find frustrating, not so much the latter. Generally speaking, I have plenty of opportunity to tweak the boot behaviour between installing and rebooting (assuming the server ever reboots at all).