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Re: Debian 1.2 is broken out of the box.



I'm only one person on this list that isn't going to bother trying to
decypher this HTML message to see what you are complaining about.

Sending a message to a linux mailing list in HTML format isn't the
brightest thing I've ever seen.  If it's any indication of the content, I
suspect that others will send this to /dev/null as well.


On Tue, 13 May 1997, Jim wrote:

> <HTML>
> Speaking as someone who has spent lots of spare time over the last few
> weeks trying to install Debian
> <BR>w/ only limited success, I feel I have earned the right to criticize
> you Debian folks for not bothering
> <BR>to test your stuff.
> 
> <P>Did the basic diskette installation that I got from ftp.kernel.org's
> mirror site.
> <BR>And here is a short list of the stuff that's broken straight out of
> the box:
> 
> <P>1) eepro module does not work w/ Intel Ether Express Pro/10+ (It worked
> fine when I compiled it under
> <BR>Red Hat)
> <BR>2) There is no help available at install time for what options are
> valid and/or required for each ethernet
> <BR>card.&nbsp; I had to guess the options.&nbsp; Red Hat doesn't suffer
> from this problem, why should Debian?
> <BR>3) Using a mirror and installing via ftp, I allowed the default selections
> to be installed.&nbsp; THE DEFAULTS FAIL!!
> <BR>Here is a complete list of DEFAULT packages which won't install right
> out the box and other mistakes:
> 
> <P>-inn - requires pgp, but since that's not available, not even as a stub,
> on US servers, it refuses to install
> <BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; AND, the package description makes no mention of
> the pgp issue or which servers to get it from or
> <BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; the readme that you carefully put into the bottom
> drawer of a locked filing cabinet on a planet orbiting
> <BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; alpha-centuri :) (Gratuitous Hitchhiker's Guide
> reference)
> <BR>-debianutils_1.4.deb - predependency prob. requires libc5>=5.4.17-1
> but only 5.4.13-1 installed
> <BR>-base-passwd_2.0-3.deb - predep. probl. requires libreadline2>=2.1
> but only 2.0.1-2 installed
> <BR>-libc6_2.0.3-2 - predep. probl. requires ldso>=1.8.10-1 but only 1.8.5-1
> installed
> <BR>-hostname_2.01.deb - predep. probl. requires libc5>-5.4.17-1 but only
> 5.4.13-1 installed
> <BR>-netstd_2.13-1 - predep. probl. requires netbase>=2.08 but only 2.06-1
> installed
> <BR>-perl_5.003.07-10 - overwrites files /usr/lib/perl5/i386-linux/5.00307/auto/Socket/Socket.so
> Socket.bs and
> <BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Config.pm, Find.pm, Basename.pm, Path.pm...etc.&nbsp;
> which are also in package perl-base.&nbsp; It says that it succeds
> <BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; because --force enabled.&nbsp; However, I wonder
> what damage is being done.
> <BR>-perl-base - predep. probl. requires libdl1 to be configured but it
> can't possibly be since this is the DEFAULT and
> <BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; first package installation.
> <BR>-psnfss &amp; texpsfnt conflict but --force overcomes this conflict.&nbsp;
> What damage is being done here??
> <BR>-The tex setup produces so much output it's useless.
> <BR>-teTeX is NOT the default package, yet, its installation information
> indicates that it is the successor to all other
> <BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Tex's and is recommended.&nbsp; Why is the teTeX
> stuff not installed by default??
> <BR>-xserver-vga16 allows you to install w/o requiring all the essential
> fonts.&nbsp; It fails during configuration when it goes
> <BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; looking for its 75dpi fonts.&nbsp; I overcame this
> by going back and installing every X font package in sight.&nbsp; Still,
> it's
> <BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; BROKEN!&nbsp; I already sent mail to package maintainer.
> 
> <P>4) dselect uses the power of perl to create an installation package
> worthy of DOS shell script.&nbsp; Basically, the
> <BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; logic chart of dselect is:
> 
> <P>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; DEPENDENCIES SATISFIED -- YES -- > install
> <BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; |
> <BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; | -- NO -- > THROW A FIT
> 
> <P>The proper way to do things is to keep pitching stuff that can't immediately
> be installed to the end of the list so that
> <BR>prerequisites have a chance to be installed and configured.&nbsp; Should
> be easy enough to do.&nbsp; At least you picked the
> <BR>right tool :)
> 
> <P>5) Any upgrades of dselect or dpkg should be done FIRST so that other
> packages which depend on the installation
> <BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; program knowing what is going on won't fail.
> 
> <P>6) dselect uses perl to install.&nbsp; However any problems during a
> perl installation (as happened to me previously ) and dselect now fails.&nbsp;
> This is BAD, VERY BAD.&nbsp; dselect and dpkg are supposed to be the means
> to correct installation
> <BR>problems and they should not be affected by installation problems,
> especially perl which is non-trivial.&nbsp; I would suggest a
> <BR>protected copy of perl be included with upgrades of dselect.
> 
> <P>7) Debian should really request that their description on www.linux.org
> be changed to:
> 
> <P>"Debian is maintained by 120 voluteers who can't be bothered to test
> their stuff."
> 
> <P>And you may think this is cruel, but Microsoft is still winning and
> I have a bad feeling about Red Hat.</HTML>
> 
> 
> --
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> Trouble?  e-mail to templin@bucknell.edu .
> 



--Rick

rickya@siservices.net


--
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