Re: The Thrill of Debian Gnu/Linux
kmself@ix.netcom.com wrote:
>
> > You'll ohh and ahhh as apt-get fails on package name lengths that are
> > too long!
>
> Sorry? Details? Never seen this.
As soon as I got a base system working, I updated my sources.list and
used "apt-get update". It failed after retreiving the pkg files with an
E: message that some package names were too long. Presumably, my 2.1
slink CD has a version of dpkg or something that has some kind of path
length limitation. Sorry I didn't note the files causing it. I think
maybe I should have upgraded to the lastest slink before going to woody,
since the CD I'm using is several months old. But that would have meant
many megabytes of d/l just to start over again to woody...and I thought
I could go straight to it. In a couple days, I'm going to try again on
another box, and I will note the exact message.
>
> > You'll quiver as apt-get begins returning "E: pre depends" messages!
>
> Sorry? Details?
Since dpkg/apt failed due to some file length error, I tried to update
them by hand (dpkg). I found some kind of circular dependency between
libc6 and the newer apt/dpkg, so I ended up forcibly installing one of
them. Finally, I got past the name length error, and apt-get started
working again, but part of the way through the update it crashed, and
when I rebooted it started giving some kind of "E: pre depends" message
when it worked through the dependency list. Several people have posted
to deja.com about it. The only way I could muddle through was by cycling
through dpkg and apt commands til it went away. When I do the next
machine (a couple days) I'll try to take more notes.
>
> > You'll telnet in from other machines repeatedly to kill gdmtest!
>
> Tsk, tsk. ssh. Telnet considered evil and twisted.
>
but probably okay on my private 10 net while I struggle with an install
gone evil :-)
>
> RedHat is a system you install many times (note: biased opinion, but
> based on upgrades 4.2 -> 5.0 -> 5.2).
>
> Debian is a system you install twice (once to learn how, once to get it
> right).
>
I tentatively agree. But my employer (for example) would take RedHat,
Storm or Corel over a raw debian, simply because their installs are far
more modern and professional. But for me, I can't stand KDE, and RedHat
has some oddities that just annoy the heck out of me, like (IMHO)
extremely poor pre-release testing.
> > I'm almost there, but this is heinous. Maybe after installing SVGA16
> > XF86Setup will start working right. Main problem now is that when I log
> > in through gdm/helix gnome, there is no wm started -- just a gray
> > stipple and a single button 2 menu. sawfish is installed and configured,
> > but not launching I guess. Any help is appreciated.
>
> Yes, XF86Setup requires the SVGA16 X server.
>
> WRT gdm: I far prefer startx from the command line. More control, fewer
> problems. Generally, it's better to get X set up and running from
> startx, *then* deal with your X display manager configuration.
>
> You might want to check:
>
> - /etc/X11 in general
> - /etc/alternatives/x-window-manager
> - /etc/X11/<x display manager>/Xstartup
>
Actually, I strongly prefer startx, but don't see how to disable gdm
without breaking helix-gnome -- it seems to require gdm. You can't
simply edit /etc/inittab like you can on RedHat. apt-get remove gdm
pulls helix-gnome off the system. I'll review those files.
Ha, I left one out -- if you have a DRDOS partition, cfdisk and lilo
conspire to mangle it. Doesn't happen under RedHat.
---
John
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