Re: [Sheflug] Re: Upgrading from mandrake 7.0

[Richard Lowe <nospam [at] btinternet.com>]

* Alastair Donlon (adonlon [at] netsoc.ucd.ie) wrote:
> On Mon, Apr 16, 2001 at 12:56:39PM +0100, Richard wrote:
> > Sammy
> > 
> > On Monday 16 April 2001 12:40, you wrote:
> > > I am thinking about up grading from mandrake 7.0 due to the fact i
> > > cannot update this version any further and will have to install a
> > > new distro. I would like  to upgrade to something like debian as
> > > many people have said to me that this is the easiest distro to
> > > update and install  programs (this could be a myth) any advice?
> > 
> > Debian is cracking stuff but the installation is like sawing your own 
> > head in two :)  Fine if you have a degree in computing science but 
> > not much good otherwise.
> > 
> 
> Well, I have a degree in computing science, and I have to say that
> the install for Debian is easy as pie. Most of the screens I was
> presented with for the Debian 2.2 version were informational, and
> simply involved clicking on an 'OK' button. As easy as any other
> installation program I've had to deal with.
>

The debian 2.2 install is similar to just about every distribution.
It asks for stuff like timezone and keymap, and installation medium.
And either individual packages if you choose expert (which is pointless
really as apt-get install <whatever> from the CDs, when you're done with
the install is far far less painful that dselect), or groups of
packages, ie, X, gcc g++ et al, TeX etc.

Similar in most ways to the curses based RH installer, which noone seems
to ever complain about, but asks you exactly the same stuff...

The only thing that vexes me about the debian install is debconf asking
configuration questions as it goes. But, you're asked what kind of
questions it will ask, and one of the options is "none" so...

> Updating and so on is relatively painless as well, although I do
> tend to think that 'dselect' is designed mostly for people with
> premanent connections. There's certainly plenty of room for 
> improvement in it, although there's not a distribution out there
> that doesn't have room for improvement.
> 

Hrm. an upgrade from stable -> unstable, when I did it last (January) 
was about 250mb, sometimes a daily apt-get upgrade will
be rather big, but not unmanageably so.

-- 
|*-------------------=[ Richard Lowe ]=------------------*|
| richlowe [at] btinternet.com                   UIN: 74724348 |           
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