Re: Question on installing packages and upgrading
> But how do I, for example, install a newer version of windowmaker or
> netscape? There are several .deb packages, and I don't know which of
> them to use.
Just use dselect, browse through the various descriptions of the *.deb
files.
If all else fails, just "try it" -- the worse you'll do is to remove a
file and install something you don't want. Now, that sounds serious,
doesn't it?! But remember, in the case of Netscape or Windowmaker, all of
your customized settings are in your home directory -- therefore, for
example, your Netscape bookmarks and mail settings won't be changed by
simply installing a new package.
Both Windowmaker and (especially) Netscape's modularity is confusing at
first, but there's a method to the madness. Don't want the spell check?
Good, don't install it. Don't want the help files -- ditto! Generally, for
Netscape folks will install the latest version of the statically-linked
Communicator and everything else that dselect will suggest.
> Another problem: my Debian stable is so outdated. New packages for
> wmaker etc. usually need newer versions of other packages.
If you read up on apt-get ("man apt-get") you can use that to solve the
various dependency problems when upgrading. Yes, this is a problem, but
with that said, potato will be released "real soon now" and this is the
"right way" of "solving" this particular issue.
> I like the Debian philosophy, but I also see that soooo many things
> don't work well/correctly/at all.
I don't know if I'd term it that way. If you install a stable-only
system, it works, and works extremely well. Ditto for potato (though, of
course, it's still unstable). The problems come from mixing and matching
slink and potato -- two different versions. That isn't officially supposed
to be done; there's an upgrade procedure, but mixing isn't part of the
plan. So it's not surprising that things don't work smoothly when mixing
two different versions.
To draw an analogy to the DOS world, what would happen if you were to
take a Win95 machine and start mixing Win98 components and *.DLLs into that
system? You'd have a nightmare on your hands. While slink and potato play
pretty well together when mixed, it's analogous to the same idea as
Win95/Win98.
> Sorry for the bashing on Debian here. Of course it is not fair to
> compare a brand-new distribution like Mandrake to Debian stable which
> is quite old now.
Exactly. My advice would be to A) read up on apt-get and use it to
install potato packages into your system, B) hold your breath and stick with
slink until potato is released, or C) just do a full upgrade now to running
the potato release. IMHO, I'd prefer C, but A is also doable if you don't
want to try a full upgrade.
--
Regards, | Microsoft: Buying up some other company's good idea
. | today, so they can sell it as an "innovation" tomorrow.
Randy |
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