[Date Prev][Date Next] [Thread Prev][Thread Next] [Date Index] [Thread Index]

Re: Finding missing packages



Pollywog <croak@shadypond.com> writes:

> On 2001.11.28 01:53 Colin Watson wrote:
> > On Tue, Nov 27, 2001 at 11:51:49PM +0000, Pollywog wrote:
> 
> > Why would using dselect cause problems like that? If anything, it
> > tends
> > to create a more functional system, since it installs recommended
> > packages and tells you about suggested packages, neither of which
> > apt-get does.
> >
> 
> As a newbie, I often had trouble getting dselect to install the proper
> packages.  It complained about dependencies and I could not figure out
> how to get it working.  

The problem with dselect that makes it confusing at first is the way
it presents information.  It's not immediately obvious why it keeps
pestering you about dependencies and installing/removing certain
packages.  However, once you learn what the **- stuff in the "IOM"
fields mean, and to read the descriptions in the dependency resolution
screen, it's all easy, right?

> As soon as I installed apt, I could just ask for a package and apt
> would install all the needed packages, though it did not tell me
> about additional suggested packages.

Apt installs the bare minimum to satisfy the absolutely necessary
dependencies.  It doesn't necessarily leave the package fully
functional, because it ignores both "recommends" and "suggests"
(recommends tend to be pretty important).

>APT was just easier to use, for me.

s/use/learn?  I think it's much easier to maintain a system with
dselect than with apt.

> dselect takes time to understand, at least it did for me.

Time well spent, however.

-- 
Brian Nelson <nelson@bignachos.com>
BigNachos@jabber.org
http://bignachos.com



Reply to: