Re: So many package tools, apt, dselect, dpkg, which should I choose?
On Thu, Sep 27, 2001 at 07:12:17AM +0000, Yuwen Dai wrote:
> Hi, All
>
> I'm new to Debian but not new to Linux. I find there're many packages in
> Debian. I'm confused. In what situation should I choose one?
Dpkg is the program that actually installs/removes packages; the other
programs just use dpkg for you.
You would want to use dpkg directly if you already have a package
downloaded to your hard drive (or created by you), and you know it
either has no dependencies or that its dependencies are already
installed. Then you just type "dpkg -i filename" to install it. Dpkg
also provides many ways to get information on packages; look at the man
page.
Apt and dselect are two separate tools which use dpkg for you and
automatically handle dependencies. If you try to install a package,
they will automatically also install anything the package depends on.
Ironically, most people find the command-line program--apt--more
user-friendly and easier to deal with than the (console-based) GUI prog,
dselect. Dselect is harder to get used to, but IMO learning it is
worthwhile.
--
Thomas J. Hamman
"It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought
without accepting it."
-Aristotle
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