Re: Package management questions
There are, I understand, problems that come up when you mix apt-get
with aptitude. Does switching to aptitude preclude using those
graphical tools? ... but update-notifier and synaptic are examples of
fantastic GUI programs that I would not want to give up.
Can anyone clear this up?
I'm neither an expert, nor developer; so, take what I say with a grain
of salt. I feel that update-notifier can be used in conjunction with
aptitude. Update-notifier, from what I've seen, simply upgrades, but
does not add or remove programs, and, thereby, would not throw off the
auto or manual labels of aptitude.
Synaptic, or apt-get, from what I can see, does more or less the same
thing that aptitude does, (install, and/or remove packages and their
dependencies when asked to) but, I believe, by a different mechanism (I
personally feel aptitude is still better with this, though. But
synaptic has improved).
Aptitude seems to get its labelling of whether programs are
automatically installed, or manually installed, messed up when
apt-get/synaptic is used, and will sometimes give some odd suggestions
(ie, "your entire desktop environment is unused, and can be
deleted....", etc) This is easily fixed by either cancelling pending
actions, or by finding the program inspiring the changes and relabelling
it as manual (instead of auto).
In short, I agree with you that mixing apt-get/synaptic with aptitude
can be a problem, and suggest sticking with one or the other. I don't
feel the update-notifier is an issue, though. And as far as people's
claims that one is the "new standard", well, take such claims with a
grain of salt. Linux is about choice. Both work fine.
Mark
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