Sunday, December 4, 2011

Linux class, THE END IS NIGH.

1 Why would you use HTTP or FTP instead of BitTorrent for downloading large files?
Well, generally, FTP and HTTP can be quicker, and more secure as they do not rely on crowd sourcing or seeders. If set up correctly, the entire file is located in one place and can be continuously drawn down without risk of interruption.

2) Which command would you give to perform a complete upgrade?
up2date -u or yum update

3) Why would you build a package from the its source code when a (binary) deb file is available?
The difference between building your own package from the source code and using a deb file is the difference between making pancakes and using bisquick; while the pre-built binary file may serve, you have greater options and control when you build the package from 'scratch'. You are able to customize it to work best on your system, fix bugs, and use the most recent version available.

4) Suggest two advantages that deb files have over source distributions.
Again, deb files are like biscuick, or box cake mix... they allow for quicker installation and deployment, as well as allowing for automatic dependency resolutions between files and libraries.

5) When you compile a package yourself, rather from a deb fil, which directory hierarchy should you put it in?
/usr/local

6) Which steps should you take before performing an upgrade on a mission-critical server?
The best bet would be to clone your server exactly on a second system and then run the upgrade on the clone while observing closely for fails and errors and for what sort of configuration information needs to be tweeked by hand so that you can insure the safety/functionality of the full upgrade on the real server.