On Friday 08 November 2002 11:16, Thibaut Cousin wrote:
Conclusion: in 8.1 you could try to keep using YaST2's package manager/updater, but in 8.0 or 7.3 you'd better not to. But I fail to see the point of using YaST2 if you have a working Apt. Apt has all the features of YaST2's package manager and more.
Ah, well, as we have seen, apt is like a gun, that you want to use to hunt for lunch. If you can figure out where the "activator" (trigger) is, and if you can figure out how to use the correct database (the right magazine full of the right calibre bullets), you can make it work. But you are not OK, yet. If you don't know enough about the required orientation, you might trigger the device, but the little round hole is facing the wrong way -- you put a new hole in your head, and meanwhile, "lunch" walks away... laughing... The manufacturer says: Didn't you see the big admonition to "Never point the device at anything that you do not intend to shoot!" ?? Yah, but... the instructions always assumed we knew which end was which...
At the same time, I would say that in 8.1 Apt is less useful than before, as the new YaST2 is more interesting. But I can see no negative point with Apt, as long as you don't try to remove some vital parts of your system with it (see previous posts on CUPS). Remember than Apt has no real failsafe mechanism with RPM format.
But, but, but... when YaST2 or some other tool has told you that another app that you need is in conflict with (say) CUPS, then what do you do? Several other people might suggest: "Oh, well you could try this..." or "You could try that..." But, the interface never suggests anything except "There's a conflict. Do you wish to: a) abort and make no changes b) make the change and lose whatever is dependent on the packages that get removed?" Meanwhile, when people are suggesting "You could try this or that...", most of them don't mention that "you could try this or that in a completely different context, using entirely different tools, and most importantly NOT using the tools that got you into this mess.... like YaST or apt." Or somebody invariably says: "Well, just get the source rpm or tarball and compile your own." Good idea, except it breaks the database connection, and you must thereafter abandon the use of YaST or apt for doing automatic updates. In other words, when people suggest "Luke! Use the source!" they usually do not make explicit that they are hardcore source-only, "I never use a gui" people, and all their suggestions are predicated on you running your system the same way. Good luck running OpenOffice and the GIMP in a console... :-) I always love hearing from somebody -- after four or five message exchanges -- "well, it works solid for me on my twenty-three servers and three firewalls, but I use Windows on my desktop..." ymmv /kevin