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Re: What is Synaptic trying to tell me?



On Sat 20 Jan 2018 at 07:13:28 (-0600), Richard Owlett wrote:
> On 01/18/2018 06:59 PM, David Wright wrote:

> >Packages are normally held back when upgrading them would involve
> >removing a package or installing a new one, and that is forbidden
> >by the upgrade method you're using.
> >
> >So, for example, apt-get dist-upgrade was recently needed to upgrade
> >linux-image against Meltdown because a new package was being
> >installed. (Substitute "apt-get dist-upgrade" accordingly.)
> 
> I don't understand the point you were trying convey saying
> *(Substitute "apt-get dist-upgrade" accordingly.)* when having just
> said "for example, apt-get dist-upgrade was recently needed".

I speak "apt-get", but I'm not a polyglot so you will have to
permute these:

apt aptitude synaptic get update upgrade dist safe full and lastly "-"

into your favourite command with suitable arguments by means of
diligent comparison of their man pages.

> >BTW when installing a kernel image (and related packages), you should
> >select the least specific generic package (like linux-image-686-pae)
> >rather than the versioned one. Because the new kernel was a new
> >package (-4 → -5), it wouldn't be seen as an upgrade except as a
> >dependency of the generic package.
> >
> 
> I habitually use "expert install" for historical (hysterical ;) reasons.
> I've been in the habit of accepting the suggested kernel.
> But I've yet to find a reference listing the kernels offered and
> their features.

In this screen, which you will have encountered, you should install
the middle line unless you have particular reason not to:

  ┌───────────────────────────────┤ [?] Install the base system
  ├───────────────────────────────┐   
  │
  │   
  │ The list shows the available kernels. Please choose one of them in
  order to make the        │   
  │ system bootable from the hard drive.
  │   
  │
  │   
  │ Kernel to install:
  │   
  │
  │   
  │                                linux-image-4.9.0-4-amd64
  │   
  │                                linux-image-amd64
  │   
  │                                none
  │   
  │
  │   
  │     <Go Back>
  │   
  │
  │   
  └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘   

On an older PC, you might have a more important choice to make:

  ┌─────────────────────────┤ [?] Install the base system
  ├─────────────────────────┐   
  │
  │   
  │ The list shows the available kernels. Please choose one of them in
  order to     │   
  │ make the system bootable from the hard drive.
  │   
  │
  │   
  │ Kernel to install:
  │   
  │
  │   
  │                           linux-image-4.9.0-2-686
  │   
  │                           linux-image-586
  │   
  │                           linux-image-686
  │   
  │                           none
  │   
  │
  │   
  │     <Go Back>
  │   
  │
  │   
  └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘   

At various times in the past there have been options like -486 and
-pae according to the CPU's features. IIRC all 686 kernels now
assume -pae, so this old laptop has to use:

$ uname -r
3.16.0-5-586
$ 

Cheers,
David.


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