Re: Update on my update problem with gnome system.

[Kenneth Parker <sea7kenp@gmail.com>]

On Fri, May 25, 2018 at 2:17 PM, Pétùr <peturvilj@gmail.com> wrote:

   <snip>

>        dist-upgrade
>            dist-upgrade in addition to performing the function of upgrade, also intelligently
>            handles changing dependencies with new versions of packages; apt-get has a "smart"
>            conflict resolution system, and it will attempt to upgrade the most important packages
>            at the expense of less important ones if necessary. The dist-upgrade command may
>            therefore remove some packages. The /etc/apt/sources.list file contains a list of
>            locations from which to retrieve desired package files. See also apt_preferences(5)
>            for a mechanism for overriding the general settings for individual packages.

Warning:  Ubuntu ("close enough" to Debian to confuse me, multiple years) regularly requires dist-upgrade to do their frequent Kernel Upgrades, because they change Version Numbers on, among other things, the vmlinuz file.  So, when I do "apt-get upgrade" on the remaining Ubuntu Laptop, I regularly see things like, 

>> root@EyeBlinkLenovo:~# apt-get -d upgrade

>> Reading package lists... Done

>> Building dependency tree       

>> Reading state information... Done

>> Calculating upgrade... Done

>> The following packages have been kept back:

>>   linux-generic linux-headers-generic linux-image-generic linux-signed-generic linux-signed-image-generic linux-tools-generic

>> 0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 0 to remove and 6 not upgraded.

But then, "apt-get dist-upgrade" gets me "new packages", where only a "sub-version" is different.  For example, when the "smoke clears" from the dist-upgrade, my "vmlinuz", in my /boot directory consists of (among other things)

>> vmlinuz-4.4.0-124-generic

>> vmlinuz-4.4.0-127-generic

Note that these are different Packages.

Now I know, that Ubuntu is aimed, at a less technical audience, but this threw me for a loop (and came to the foreground, when I didn't allocate a large enough /boot partition.  I had to learn "apt-get autoremove" in a HURRY!!!  Oh well.  I;m sure each of you have your own Administration War Stories).  

But this "Feature Creep" on the Linux Kernel, is why I am here now, "upgrading" my Ubuntu Server Systems to Debian 9.4.  Once again, Go Debian!)

So, once again, watch out for "dist-upgrade", if there's any "hint" of Ubuntu (i.e.   Mint, Elementary OS, and many others out there).

Word to the Wise.

Kenneth Parker