On Wed, Mar 31, 2004 at 06:22:18AM +0200, Matthijs wrote: > ... > I think I'm as much a newbie as you are and recognize you're problem > with the package management. I'm used to a windows environment. You > want a new application? Go to the website, download the setup.exe and > execute - you're done. > > I'm not here to start an OS-war (I would probably lose... :-), but > switching to the package management system from Debian is quite a big > step.
I've had the opposite impression, that the debian system makes it very simple to install (and remove) applications. Step 1, if you want to try application "APP", use $ apt-cache search APP to see what, if any, packages are available. Odds are, your APP may be supported, meaning that one of the many volunteer debian minions has packaged it. If it's a new, cutting edge application then it's not likely to be in stable, but it may well be available under unstable or testing. Step 2, choose one one of those packages, i.e., APP_PACKAGE. Step 3, install it using $ sudo apt-get install APP_PACKAGE (or su to root and use # apt-get install APP_PACKAGE if you haven't set up sudo yet). Step 4, figure out how to run it. Sometimes it's obvious, and "man APP", "APP -h", or (sigh) "APP --help" may be sufficient to get the syntax down. In many cases it might be good to see what executables are included, so something like $ dpkg -L APP_PACKAGE | grep bin will produce a list of runnable programs. In some cases there may be an assoicated APP-doc package to haul in the relevant documents, to be found under /usr/share/doc/APP/ or similar. Step 5, when you find you don't want it, use $ sudo apt-get remove APP_PACKAGE or $ sudo apt-get --purge remove APP_PACKAGE and it's gone. Unless you use the --purge option, any configuration adjustments you've made are retained, usually in /etc/APP_PACKAGE.conf or some similar location. The debian package system, as dictated by Policy, will identify and install any dependent packages that might be needed. It will also leave the app in a usable state, e.g., already up and running if it's a server app in many cases. If I'm not mistaken, using the "go to the website, download the setup.exe and execute" method, you'll also need to do a bit of research and find and install any dependencies yourself. Maybe it's just me, but $ sudo apt-get install SOMETHING seems simpler than that. ACTUALLY, THOUGH, I'd really use $ sudo apt-get install SOMETHING -s where the -s option (aka --simulate, --just-print, --dry-run, --recon, --no-act) lets you know what apt-get is going to do before you do it. Good luck! -- Ken Irving, Research Analyst, [EMAIL PROTECTED], 907-474-6152 Water and Environmental Research Center Institute of Northern Engineering University of Alaska, Fairbanks -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact [EMAIL PROTECTED]