Re: Why is debian "more of a learning curve" than Redhat???
On Sun, Jan 25, 1998 at 05:08:07PM -0500, David E. Scott wrote:
> Marcus Brinkmann wrote:
> > Therefore it is easier to automate an installation of windows, but it is
> > also easier to break it ;)
>
> Perhaps like the RedHad system, all those assumptions could be made
> ahead of time (with more limited functionality initially). Then if you
> add additional packages later, perhaps there could be a command (if
> there isn't one already) that would do a pre-scan for dependencies and
> set up an install script that would make the "best guess" for what to do
> to eliminate them. Then running that script would both eliminate the
> dependencies and install the desired package..... ??
I'm not sure. The point is that you have to make a decision, which mail
transport agent you need (do you have a big site, with lots of users, or
stand alone with no mail at all, or only local mail, or what), which
webserver if any, what printer spooler/filter and so on.
To configure a Linux system, you have to make a lot of decision, and to fine
tune it you need certainly several weeks. Also, the default configuration
can't suit every ones needs. With stand alone PC's or Macs, you can make a
lot of assumptions, that are not true for Linux systems. There are sometimes
long discussion about the best editor, the best window manager, the best
shell. One could say, every component is optional ;)
> > You can also use "which <program>" if you want to know, which version of a
> > program gets started. If you have the same binary under /usr/bin and
> > /usr/bin/local, you can check with "which", which of those will be executed
> > with your current PATH setting (earlier PATH's get searched earlier).
>
> Cool, but that command doesn't appear in the Linux Man book I have. I
> have the 2nd edition. Is that specific to either RedHat or Debian, or is
> it one of the newer commands?
It is actually only a short shell script. You can check what a file is with
the "file command". You can execute a command and insert the output in a
command line, like this:
$ file `which which`
/usr/bin/which: Bourne-Again shell script text
So to say, which is really /usr/bin/which, and it is a shell script (a BATCH
file in DOS).
If you take a look at /usr/bin/which with "cat", "vi", "less" or whatever,
you see that it only contains five lines:
#!/bin/bash
unalias -a
unset -- "$@" &> /dev/null
enable -n -- "$@" &> /dev/null
type -p "$@"
The most important line is "type ...", this is a bash builtin (find out with
"type type" ;), and it gives you:
$ type which
which is hashed (/usr/bin/which)
which means, that the which command was already executed (so there is no
need to search it again in the path), and will be started from
/usr/bin/which).
To find out where "which" is packaged:
$ dpkg -S which
ircii: /usr/lib/irc/help/which
debianutils: /usr/man/man1/which.1.gz
debianutils: /usr/bin/which
tetex-bin: /usr/bin/kpsewhich
So it is a debian tool, but it is common in the Unix world.
> > Yes, exactly. Just install anacron, and you are done. It is quite easy,
>
> That also isn't documented in the man book I have. Is it also one of the
> newer commands?
Actually, it is no command you would enter on the command line. Anacron
will be started at boot time and as a cron job. If you reboot, Anacron
checks if there are cron jobs that didn't run (because the computer was
switched off). If there are, it executes them.
$ dpkg --print-avail anacron
[...]
This package is pre-configured to execute the daily jobs of the Debian
system. You should install this program if your system isn't powered on
24 hours a day to make sure the maintainance jobs of other Debian packages
are executed each day.
> Just the same, it's nice to know there is that option. Now I have
> another bookmark in my Man book - at the OD page. :) Thanks !!
You will find less and less need for it, but sometimes it is useful.
> > Look at the LDP project (sunsite.unc.edu/pub/Linux/doc/LDP or so).
> > they have a user guide.
>
> gzipped and not readable in a browser. An interesting situation: the
> documentation for installing Linux is most easily available if you
> already have Linux installed. :)
No, you have to download them. You can print the postscript version with
ghostscript and magicfilter installed.
If you need preprinted documentation, try your nearest book store - Linux in
a Nutshell is often recommended, but there are many other books, too.
> > You are welcome, but it is a long way 'til you find out that it is not easy
> > to make things easy ;) (There are a lot of special needs to care about).
>
> I know it's not easy, Marcus. But that's what makes it worth doing, I
> think....
You are a hardliner, eh ? We all are ;)
Marcus
--
"Rhubarb is no Egyptian god." Debian GNU/Linux finger brinkmd@
Marcus Brinkmann http://www.debian.org master.debian.org
Marcus.Brinkmann@ruhr-uni-bochum.de for public PGP Key
http://homepage.ruhr-uni-bochum.de/Marcus.Brinkmann/ PGP Key ID 36E7CD09
--
TO UNSUBSCRIBE FROM THIS MAILING LIST: e-mail the word "unsubscribe" to
debian-user-request@lists.debian.org .
Trouble? e-mail to templin@bucknell.edu .
Reply to: