Re: OT: OS/distribution recommendations

Spoon,

> Currently, it has NT4.0 SP6 installed, but I would be
> willing to install an OS from scratch. I am looking
> for something that is (relatively) easy to install,
> and is a platform that it is (relatively) easy to
> install PostgrSQL on as well. I run the machine
> "headless," so there has to be a way to telnet or SSH
> in.

The two most popular OSes for PostgreSQL are Linux and BSD.  There is some
arguement about which is best for running the database, but you're interested
in "easy to install", so that means Linux.

SuSE Linux and Mandrake Linux both come with full-featured graphical
installers.   Additionaly, SuSE's admin tool, YAST, has begun winning awards
for ease-of-use in recent versions.   Red Hat Linux also comes with easy
setup tools, but Red Hat has announced that they are discontinuing their
"home" version after 9.0, so I don't think you want to go with Red Hat.

Debian Linux certainly makes the install of PostgreSQL easy.  However, I'm not
sure that the install of Debian Linux is so easy.   SuSE Linux gives you GUI
setups for disk formatting, raid, LVM, and hardware configuration.   I don't
know how mush of this is automated on Debian.

Regardless of which Linux distribution you use, you'll want to install
software called "VNC" in addition to SSH.   VNC allows you remote graphical
access to the desktop on the linux server if you want to use KDE/Gnome
widgets.   VNC clients are available for Windows; I recommend TightVNC.

--
Josh Berkus
Aglio Database Solutions
San Francisco