Hi all,

Recently I've set up a Debian Etch box which I'm nearly ready to bring up full
time (currently using a different distribution...been a linux user for over
10 years).

Here's an example of what this message is about:
I've been reading the debian-user list for a bit, and I've noticed that
suggestions given are to use the apt-* suite or aptitude to managing
packages. While setting things up (and installing packages) I came across
synaptic in the KDE menus. Tried it, and liked using it. So now I'm
wondering according to Debian Wisdom (no disrespect intended to anyonne)
which is the preferred way of installing software?

More generally, is there a document/web page that explains what are the
preferred packages and what is the "Debian Way" of doing things.

Thanks,

Mark


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On Sun, 19 Aug 2007 14:10:27 -0400
Mark Neidorff <mark@neidorff.com> wrote:

> Hi all,
>
> Recently I've set up a Debian Etch box which I'm nearly ready to bring up full
> time (currently using a different distribution...been a linux user for over
> 10 years).
>
> Here's an example of what this message is about:
> I've been reading the debian-user list for a bit, and I've noticed that
> suggestions given are to use the apt-* suite or aptitude to managing
> packages. While setting things up (and installing packages) I came across
> synaptic in the KDE menus. Tried it, and liked using it. So now I'm
> wondering according to Debian Wisdom (no disrespect intended to anyonne)
> which is the preferred way of installing software?
>
> More generally, is there a document/web page that explains what are the
> preferred packages and what is the "Debian Way" of doing things.
>

Also for me seems that the best fast-configured packages are with apt/synaptic
but (yeah!) for me the best aproach to install my most-used packages are
from source, compiled for my processor and run smooth than the normal
precompiled packages

-olr


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On Sun, Aug 19, 2007 at 02:10:27PM -0400, Mark Neidorff wrote:
> Hi all,
>
> Recently I've set up a Debian Etch box which I'm nearly ready to bring upfull
> time (currently using a different distribution...been a linux user for over
> 10 years).
>
> Here's an example of what this message is about:
> I've been reading the debian-user list for a bit, and I've noticed that
> suggestions given are to use the apt-* suite or aptitude to managing
> packages. While setting things up (and installing packages) I came across
> synaptic in the KDE menus. Tried it, and liked using it. So now I'm
> wondering according to Debian Wisdom (no disrespect intended to anyonne)
> which is the preferred way of installing software?
>
> More generally, is there a document/web page that explains what are the
> preferred packages and what is the "Debian Way" of doing things.

aptitude is the recommended APT frontend. And I think the document you
are looking for is the Debian Reference (package debian-reference).

Otherwise it is difficult to say there is one Debian Way (tm), as there
are more ways to achieve the same task. My own policy has been to use
the defaults as much as possible and find ways to make my customizations
not interfere with the normal upgrade process.

Regards,
Andrei
--
If you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it well enough.
(Albert Einstein)

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On Sun, Aug 19, 2007 at 02:10:27PM -0400, Mark Neidorff wrote:
> Hi all,
>
> Recently I've set up a Debian Etch box which I'm nearly ready to bring upfull
> time (currently using a different distribution...been a linux user for over
> 10 years).
>
> Here's an example of what this message is about:
> I've been reading the debian-user list for a bit, and I've noticed that
> suggestions given are to use the apt-* suite or aptitude to managing
> packages. While setting things up (and installing packages) I came across
> synaptic in the KDE menus. Tried it, and liked using it. So now I'm
> wondering according to Debian Wisdom (no disrespect intended to anyonne)
> which is the preferred way of installing software?
>
> More generally, is there a document/web page that explains what are the
> preferred packages and what is the "Debian Way" of doing things.

aptitude is the recommended APT frontend. And I think the document you
are looking for is the Debian Reference (package debian-reference).

Otherwise it is difficult to say there is one Debian Way (tm), as there
are more ways to achieve the same task. My own policy has been to use
the defaults as much as possible and find ways to make my customizations
not interfere with the normal upgrade process.

Regards,
Andrei
--
If you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it well enough.
(Albert Einstein)

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On Sun, Aug 19, 2007 at 02:10:27PM -0400, Mark Neidorff wrote:
>
> Here's an example of what this message is about:
> I've been reading the debian-user list for a bit, and I've noticed that
> suggestions given are to use the apt-* suite or aptitude to managing
> packages. While setting things up (and installing packages) I came across
> synaptic in the KDE menus. Tried it, and liked using it. So now I'm
> wondering according to Debian Wisdom (no disrespect intended to anyonne)
> which is the preferred way of installing software?
>
> More generally, is there a document/web page that explains what are the
> preferred packages and what is the "Debian Way" of doing things.

The release notes state that aptitude is the preferred package
management tool since it takes care of automatically installed pacakges
(those installed only to meet dependancies) and removes them when
nothing else needs them. You can over-ride Automatic by marking them as
manual. Note that many of the horror stories about aptitude involved
people using it as a CLI replacement for apt-get instead of using its
curses interface.

For reading:

Release notes,
debian policy (not all, unless you're making packages),
the fhs that comes with the policy
debian-reference (a bit dated but still a must-read).
aptitude-doc

All but the release notes are available as debian packages.

As for 'preferred' packages, its all up to you. However, some packages
are marked as 'base', 'required', 'important', 'standard', etc.

Ensure that you have all the base and required ones. You can search
with aptitude.

The other advice is to go slow. Once you have your base system
functional, just add one function at a time. E.g. get X working as you
want, and then add a browser as a separate project.

Doug.


--
To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to debian-user-REQUEST@lists.debian.org
with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact listmaster@lists.debian.org

On Sun, Aug 19, 2007 at 02:10:27PM -0400, Mark Neidorff wrote:
>
> Here's an example of what this message is about:
> I've been reading the debian-user list for a bit, and I've noticed that
> suggestions given are to use the apt-* suite or aptitude to managing
> packages. While setting things up (and installing packages) I came across
> synaptic in the KDE menus. Tried it, and liked using it. So now I'm
> wondering according to Debian Wisdom (no disrespect intended to anyonne)
> which is the preferred way of installing software?
>
> More generally, is there a document/web page that explains what are the
> preferred packages and what is the "Debian Way" of doing things.

The release notes state that aptitude is the preferred package
management tool since it takes care of automatically installed pacakges
(those installed only to meet dependancies) and removes them when
nothing else needs them. You can over-ride Automatic by marking them as
manual. Note that many of the horror stories about aptitude involved
people using it as a CLI replacement for apt-get instead of using its
curses interface.

For reading:

Release notes,
debian policy (not all, unless you're making packages),
the fhs that comes with the policy
debian-reference (a bit dated but still a must-read).
aptitude-doc

All but the release notes are available as debian packages.

As for 'preferred' packages, its all up to you. However, some packages
are marked as 'base', 'required', 'important', 'standard', etc.

Ensure that you have all the base and required ones. You can search
with aptitude.

The other advice is to go slow. Once you have your base system
functional, just add one function at a time. E.g. get X working as you
want, and then add a browser as a separate project.

Doug.


--
To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to debian-user-REQUEST@lists.debian.org
with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact listmaster@lists.debian.org

On Sun, 19 Aug 2007 14:10:27 -0400
Mark Neidorff <mark@neidorff.com> wrote:

Hello Mark,

> More generally, is there a document/web page that explains what are
> the preferred packages and what is the "Debian Way" of doing things.

One of the reasons that the apt-* suite is recommended is that, should
the X windowing system get trashed, you can (re-)install software,
should it prove necessary.

Synaptic is fine (it's just a GUI for command line tools), but does
require that you can log in to a DE of some sort.

--
Regards _
/ ) "The blindingly obvious is
/ _)rad never immediately apparent"

The public wants what the public gets
Going Underground - The Jam

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On Sun, 19 Aug 2007 14:10:27 -0400
Mark Neidorff <mark@neidorff.com> wrote:

Hello Mark,

> More generally, is there a document/web page that explains what are
> the preferred packages and what is the "Debian Way" of doing things.

One of the reasons that the apt-* suite is recommended is that, should
the X windowing system get trashed, you can (re-)install software,
should it prove necessary.

Synaptic is fine (it's just a GUI for command line tools), but does
require that you can log in to a DE of some sort.

--
Regards _
/ ) "The blindingly obvious is
/ _)rad never immediately apparent"

The public wants what the public gets
Going Underground - The Jam

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