> It removes the underlying need for a Sys Admin to worry about the versions.
No, they really don't: they remove the ability of system administrators to administer versions of software across the total system.
This is bad, e.g. when a new OpenSSL vulnerability comes out (it being a day ending in -y) and every piece of software has to be updated.
> We shouldn't WANT to stop the Developers from from having the newest version of things. They aren't kids playing with toys that we need to nanny over, they're doing work that creates values and the fewer things we do to get in the way of that, the better.
I am a developer, and I disagree. We are, by and large, kids playing rather than adults making carefully considered decisions. We'd rather use v3.0.rc-1-awesome rather than 2.17.12, because the former is the version that adds an API that saves us from writing twenty lines of code, never mind that it also is untested, unstable and very likely insecure.
We need adult supervision. We need oversight. That's why I argue for using stable, LTS-style distributions, and running against the distro packages unless there is a very good business reason not to (and yes, 'we can't implement necessary functionality in a cost-effective timeframe' is a valid business reason). I'm not opposed to using the bleeding edge when it makes business sense; I'm opposed to developers using the bleeding edge because they like it, and keeping the business in the dark.
No, they really don't: they remove the ability of system administrators to administer versions of software across the total system.
This is bad, e.g. when a new OpenSSL vulnerability comes out (it being a day ending in -y) and every piece of software has to be updated.
> We shouldn't WANT to stop the Developers from from having the newest version of things. They aren't kids playing with toys that we need to nanny over, they're doing work that creates values and the fewer things we do to get in the way of that, the better.
I am a developer, and I disagree. We are, by and large, kids playing rather than adults making carefully considered decisions. We'd rather use v3.0.rc-1-awesome rather than 2.17.12, because the former is the version that adds an API that saves us from writing twenty lines of code, never mind that it also is untested, unstable and very likely insecure.
We need adult supervision. We need oversight. That's why I argue for using stable, LTS-style distributions, and running against the distro packages unless there is a very good business reason not to (and yes, 'we can't implement necessary functionality in a cost-effective timeframe' is a valid business reason). I'm not opposed to using the bleeding edge when it makes business sense; I'm opposed to developers using the bleeding edge because they like it, and keeping the business in the dark.