this post was submitted on 15 Jan 2024
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Linux
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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Linux is a family of open source Unix-like operating systems based on the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released on September 17, 1991 by Linus Torvalds. Linux is typically packaged in a Linux distribution (or distro for short).
Distributions include the Linux kernel and supporting system software and libraries, many of which are provided by the GNU Project. Many Linux distributions use the word "Linux" in their name, but the Free Software Foundation uses the name GNU/Linux to emphasize the importance of GNU software, causing some controversy.
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I think yes. In general if you have good setup instructions (preferably automated) then it will be easier to start from scratch. This is because when starting from scratch you need to worry about the new setup. But when upgrading you need to worry about the new setup as well as any cruft that has been carried over from the previous setup. Basically starting clean has some advantages.
However it is important to make sure that you can go back to the old working state if required. Either via backups or leaving the old machine around working until the new one has been proven to be operational.
I also really like NixOS for this reason. It means that you can upgrade your system with very little cruft carrying over. Basically it behaves like a clean install every update. But it is easier to roll back if you need to.