Re: list suggestion? [was Another dpkg or apt-get question from a new user]
Well I, for one, sure would have appreciated such an addition to the message tag (or
monthly notice)
I've been using Linux since late 1994 so, if I'm not a guru [and I'm certainly not],
I do have some fairly rich general skills/knowledge. But I started with Slackware
and then, somewhere along the way, switched to RH. Moving, about two weeks ago now,
to Debian has been in many ways a joy, but some specific parts of the change have
been a lot harder to recover from than I had expected.
Most of the "problems" could have been resolved instantaneously if I had had a good
source of information about the way the Debian system handles packages. And
specifically, what to expect from (and how to get the most out of) the 'dpkg,'
'dselect' and 'apt-get' commands. (Are there other, related, commands that I haven't
run across yet?)
And I would still enjoy seeing some of those http links you suggested below.
Maury
w trillich wrote:
> the simple answer to the question 'how do i know what files are
> in the package i installed?' was
>
> dpkg -L <pkgname>
>
> things like this are standard knowledge among debian folk who
> have been on this list for a few weeks--but for the new folk,
> it's a complete mystery, but each one of us has had to ask
> the same questions... again and again.
>
> i know that the questions i've asked have often been 'one too many'
> for some of you. :)
>
> perhaps we could add, to the 'unsubscribe' tag at the end of each
> message sent by the list-server (see the bottom of this message),
> an URL pointing to one DEBIAN-SPECIFIC newbie-like page containing
> pointers to such stuff as
> 'what's slink, potato, sid, & such?' --> http link
> 'how to upgrade your debian software' --> apt-get
> 'how to configure apt-get' --> /etc/apt/sources.list --> http link
> 'why we retch all over those *.rpm files' --> http link
> 'what package uses file XYZ' --> dpkg -S <XYZ>
> 'which files are in package Q' --> dpkg -L <Q>
> 'know what's in a *.deb package before you apt-get it' --> http link
> --
> plus, pointers to linux-general stuff, perhaps...
> 'apache configs' --> apache.org
> 'email configs' --> fetchmail, sendmail, exim, &c
> 'samba configs' --> samba.org
> &c
>
> if we don't wanna add another line to the 'unsubscribe' tag at
> the end of each message, perhaps post a monthly (or periodic, at
> least) newbie pointer-list?
>
> might help cut the friction/grease the wheels?
>
> [ our site isn't stable yet or i'd volunteer. (politics and procedures
> impede, for the moment.) ]
>
> --
>
> currently, www.debian.org has a few pointers to 'getting started':
> -support:
> - subscribe to this mailing list (and here we are! aaugh!)
> - contact package maintainers (they have nothing better to do)
> -documentation:
> - faq-o-matic <== PLEASE CONTRIBUTE! <==
> - faq
> - "getting debian" mentions 'apt-get' near the bottom
> - "archives" describes distribution directories
> - debian guide (still rather intimidating)
> - debuan tutorial (chapter 14! mentions configuring apt-get)
> -release info
> great for the tech-heads who understand it
> (say, someone who was a newbie four months ago)
> even the useful links here are buried three deep or so. why not have
> these links be at the top level of a 'debian newbie' site, the URL
> of which is added to the 'unsubscribe' tag below?
>
> --
> Unsubscribe? mail -s unsubscribe debian-user-request@lists.debian.org < /dev/null
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