Re: [ProgSoc] More on Linux distros - Debian issues

[alister air <baitoven@nospam.progsoc.uts.edu.au>]

On Thu, 3 Apr 2003, jedd wrote:

>  At the moment, yes .. unstable's a better place to be than
>  testing.  Arguably it's always a better place to be than
>  testing, but more on that later.  At the moment it's better
>  because testing's stalled and/or flooding - either way it's
>  an uncomfortable place right now.

I see... but trying unstable on my local mirror (iinet.net.au) it keeps
telling me that the debs I need aren't there.  Should I try installing
3.0r1 and then upgrading xserver only from unstable or testing (or
apt-get.org)?  I could also just download the .deb and use dpkg to install
it instead of trying to apt-get a relevant version.

>  Then your best bet might be to fiddle with back-ported
>  XFree86 packages - I'm sure they exist, and if they exist
>  then I'm sure they'll be on apt-get.org.

I found some using lynx.

>  Certainly if you're not willing to get your hands dirty, so
>  to speak, every now and then .. and/or not in a position to
>  do some serious downloads (a couple of hundred meg a
>  week, say) .. then stable+unofficial backport's the best
>  place t be.

I can download heaps... I like my ADSL connection, and my ISP mirrors
(most of) Debian.

>  Those transparent menus are .. beautiful.

This is clearly not transparent menus on apt-get.org - a site made for
lynx if ever I've seen one.  Very sad... they figure if you're getting
there then clearly x is fucked so you can't see pretty pictures.

>  That's impressive.  It takes most RH users about two years
>  before they realise that they install once, but maintain
>  forever .. and selecting a network card from a list using
>  the keyboard isn't that much more difficult than doing
>  it with the mouse.

Yeah, except I've never used Red Hat as either server or desktop.  I've
used Debian servers, because even basic homework told me that they were
the things to use.

>  Anyway, you need to get used to the nine-hour rule - which
>  (loosely) states that no matter what you want to do with
>  anything GNUish or Linuxish, it'll take you nine hours
>  the first time.  Of course it'll take you a few minutes every
>  subsequent time.

So the theory goes...

>  Tonight's pair of nine-hour tasks are to get my TungstenT
>  talking via USB for hot-syncs, and getting the same
>  device talking via Bluetooth to a seemingly vaguely-well
>  supported USB <--> Bluetooth adapter, so I can surf the
>  web from the comfy chair.

Sounds like ... fun.  My Sony Clie doesn't do Bluetooth, but I don't think
I need to surf from comfy chairs...

A.



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