It is perfectly acceptable to install "testing" or "unstable" packages.
Preferably "testing" packages as "testing" is frozen and will probably
become "stable" in the next month or two if all goes well. There used
to be a "frozen" directory in addition to "stable" and "testing"???
Wonder if there still is?
The only problem with installing "testing" is that this can sometimes break
packages. I have "testing" running fine with no problems so I would imagine
you can install dock apps without much worry. If you are running "stable"
right now then you will probably be installing a whole lot of new packages
(Basically upgrading to SARGE).
Are these dock apps for wmaker or gnome?
If you can find an RPM of the dock app you can use alien to convert it to
a DEB and then hopefully install. It is also acceptable to compile programs
if you know what you are doing. Usually a lot of dependencies in the ./configure
have to be satisfied. The only problem with this is that a self compiled program
will not show up as installed on your system if you run
dpkg -l | grep ii
You can also use deb-src to download source as build a deb.
Entirely your decision but if the packages you want are in TESTING (SARGE) then
you should consider an upgrade to SARGE (Backup your current system). Of course,
if uncertain, maybe wait for a month or two until SARGE becomes STABLE and then install.
Lance
lance@augustmail.com
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It gives me great pleasure indeed to see the stubbornness of an incorrigible
nonconformist warmly acclaimed.
-
Albert Einstein