1.) Why would you use HTTP or FTP instead of BitTorrent for downloading large files?
Using BitTorrent to download large files can take hours or days depending on the internet speeds because if there are more people trying to download the file than there are seeding it, bandwidth will be constricted
2.) Which command would you give to perform a complete upgrade?
First you would run sudo aptitude update then run sudo aptitude full-upgrade
3.) Why would you build a package from its source code when a (binary) deb file is available?
Because its better to build and compile the package from your source code to get the best results.
4.) Suggest two advantages that deb files have over source distributions.
Well, security is a major concern because source distributions are public and anyone can create one, so there is a lot of trust put into the files that you obtain from a distribution. Also, sometimes distributions may contain files meant for other types of operating systems such as other linux systems or other types, which could create system failures if used in the Ubuntu environment.
5.) when you compile a package yourself, rather than from a deb file, which directory hierarchy should you put it in?
/usr/src
6.) Which steps should you take before performing an upgrade on a mission-critical server?
First and foremost, you should make a backup of that server, then you would want to download your updates from a trusted source, and then do a safe-upgrade within aptitude to make sure you can choose package by package on what you want to upgrade. Once complete and there haven't been any problems, you will be good to go.
