Re: dselect alternatives
> From: Greg Folkert [mailto:greg@gregfolkert.net]
> On Tue, 2004-07-13 at 16:46, ricktaylor@speakeasy.net wrote:
> > > From: Greg Folkert [mailto:greg@gregfolkert.net]
> >
> > > Apt-get has MUCH MUCH better dependency handling (yes I know about that
> >
> > How's that?
>
> Mainly apt-get doesn't screw with things that way dselect does, in its
> nearly-prehistoric methods. Like doing things for you, that you
> shouldn't without asking "Hey, Girl-Pants! Are you really sure you want
> to be STUPID?"
>
> If you want apt-get|aptitude to act similarly there are options for em,
> other wise apt-get|aptitude behave much more friendly.
This is the man page {man apt-get at google} for apt-get, etc.
http://annys.eines.info/cgi-bin/man/man2html?8+apt-get
http://annys.eines.info/cgi-bin/man/man2html?8+dselect
http://annys.eines.info/cgi-bin/man/man2html?8+dpkg
Read the description on the dselect man page.
I've broken installs with any and all of the above mentioned programs. {I've broken installs with every package manager on debian.} The real point there is that "I" broke them.
If you take your time, pay attention to what you're doing, don't try to upgrade a huge number of packages at once and are just plain careful you don't really have many problems. {Doing the distribution upgrade thing is arguably safer. ...Those will break too. They are a little more cut and dried, all of the dependencies are covered, etc...}
Personally, I'd use kpackage or synaptic in X and dselect in a terminal {mainly because synaptic and kpackage are easier to read... the on-screen information is a little better organized and so on.}. I think the most important part of the whole thing is to go at it a few packages at a time and
try to keep things upgraded across the board. It's when you start holding packages or neglecting to fix broken, low-level stuff that you start to have problems.
What are you thinking dselect does for you that apt-get doesn't?
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