Re: Where'd lsb-compat go?
On Monday 15 July 2019 16:09:28 Kent West wrote:
> On 7/15/19 2:48 PM, Stefan Monnier wrote:
> >> 3) It spurs me to ask: So, if not via LSB, what is the canonical
> >> way to programatically determine the version of an installed Debian
> >> setup?
> >
> > Why would a program want to know?
> >
> > That won't give it very much information, since the system may very
> > well have a mix of packages from different Debian releases plus
> > other packages from other repositories, plus hand-installed
> > packages, without talking about the fact that the Debian version
> > number doesn't tell you which packages are installed.
> >
> >
> > Stefan
>
> Well, in this particular case, the Quest SMA is a Systems Management
> Appliance, which provides management and data-collection capabilities
> of devices on a network. When a sysadmin wants to use the SMA to find
> out about PCs on the network, particularly Linux PCs, particularly
> Debian PCs, particularly Debian PCs of a certain version, that SMA
> itself must first know that information. That's part of what the SMA
> does; it goes and and collects information about the devices. In this
> case, it wanted to know the Debian version, both major and minor
> version. Granted, to you and me, perhaps that particular information
> is not very informative, but it seems to mean something to the Suits
> (and to the programmers of the Quest SMA). Go figure.
I'd assume their rational is to build for that minimal system, probably
because they want a red line to draw support at. Said another way, if
you've got so-and-so's database because thats what needed to get the job
done, they can take your money, then say "Oh, we don't support that".
We all are well aware that the chances of an linux install, done from an
image or installer, has a vanishingly small chance of being a bit for
bit copy 2 weeks later unless its been powered down for those 2 weeks.
Do we really need that?
Cheers, Gene Heskett
--
"There are four boxes to be used in defense of liberty:
soap, ballot, jury, and ammo. Please use in that order."
-Ed Howdershelt (Author)
If we desire respect for the law, we must first make the law respectable.
- Louis D. Brandeis
Genes Web page <http://geneslinuxbox.net:6309/gene>
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