On Wed, Apr 04, 2007 at 08:22:37PM +0200, Michelle Konzack wrote: > > Am 2007-03-20 14:00:22, schrieb Douglas Allan Tutty: > > I have a 486 with 32 MB ram, ISA bus NIC, currently running Sarge. Now > > that Etch RC2 is out I'm starting to plan for the future of this box. > > The Etch install manual says that it needs 64 MB ram. I know that Sarge > > will continue to be supported for a while but I may as well start > > planning. > > > > I never could run Sarge's installer re memory so went with Woody and > > upgraded. I can try that with Etch but want to have a fall-back > > position in case the attempt hoses. > > Why not: > > 1) catch the "Packages.gz" of Etch > 2) then make a list of the installed Sarge Packages > 3) create a list of the DEPENDENCIES for all the installed Sarge > packages (dependencies have changed...) > 4) download the list using "wget" > 5) use "dpkg-scanpackages" to create a NEW Packages.gz > 6) setup your "/etc/apt/sources.list" to use this Repository ONLY. > 7) go into "/var/lib/dpkg/" and delete the files "available" and > "available-old" > 8) apt-get update > 9) apt-get dist-upgrade > After the seccessfull update you can change the > "/etc/apt/sources.list" back to an official Etch mirror. >
Thanks Michelle, I know I can do it. This box isn't a production box, just my toolbox and remote client. I need it to work in case I need it for email if my main box has a problem. The problem is, going forward, if something happens that requires a reinstall (e.g. root drive failure), then to reinstall, I have to install woody base, then update to sarge, then update to etch, then install what I need. The other problem is that, for example, aptitude takes up a whole pile of memory reading in the packages file (I think apt does too if I just use apt-get, since it has to resolve dependancies). Under sarge, it takes a while. I'm concerned that it may be unusable under Etch will all those extra packages bloating up main. I wish that main was split into base (core, whatever) and main. All I need (in order of priority) is basedebs, sh, ed, vi(m), ppp, minicom, ssh, rsync, wget, lynx, mc, and basic X. Having to read in all the stuff in main to keep this lot up-to-date is a royal pain. X will be another headache since I'm using the S3 driver from Woody right now. I'll have to see how vesa works under Xorg, if Xorg will even run on the box. I know that I can get debian to do it, but the more hoops I have to jump through to do it, the more its like a roll-your-own linux that happens to use apt. At some point, it may make more sense to switch to a disto with what I need in the base system, such as one of the BSDs (and not use packages and ports). The other thing that a BSD gives me is full documentation. Imagine if I'm in the middle of trying to rescue my main box yet the man pages on my toolbox tell me to go to the net since Debian can't include the proper man (or info, whatever) page due to it not being DFSG. I'm on slow dialup. I don't like having to use the net to read a stupid man page. But that, Mr gineapig on the riverbank, is another story... :) Thanks, Doug. -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact [EMAIL PROTECTED]
