Re: Advice on downloading software please

[rhkramer]

On Saturday, August 27, 2016 07:34:33 PM Joe Pfeiffer wrote:
> Brian  writes:

> > Even if it works?
> 
> It is a really good idea to check the contents of the PPA, and make sure
> it doesn't bring in nonstandard versions of system libraries.  I don't
> remember ever having been burned by a PPA specifically, but I did once
> have to spend a day cleaning stuff from debian-multimedia (long ago
> enough that it wasn't deb-multimedia yet) off my system.
> 
> I frankly have to worry about somebody who is asking for help installing
> from a PPA then being able to clean up if it goes sour.

+1

I'd say more, but maybe enough said--well, I'll be brief / cryptic--to 
recommend that a probably (?) novice do something in violoation of the 
policies (of Debian) meant to protect his system seems counterproductive.

Re: Advice on downloading software please

[Curt]

On 2016-08-27, Daniel Bareiro  wrote:

 are given at x [1].
>> ^
>> |
>> |
>> What happened here-| ? The link has disappeared, Censorship at work?
>
> Maybe some intermediate processing performed by openmailbox.org,
>

There is no [1] on this end (you know, at the bottom of the page where
it says "[1] Intermediate processing brought to you by openmailbox.org. At
your service for all your censorship needs").

-- 
"I always say to people, ‘No one earns $100 million. You steal $100 million.’
People earn $10 an hour. People earn $40,000 a year. ‘Earn’ means work. Okay?
It doesn’t mean steal, which with these vast amounts of money, of course you
steal them."
— Fran Lebowitz

Re: Advice on downloading software please

[Joe Pfeiffer]

Brian  writes:

> On Sat 27 Aug 2016 at 09:15:50 -0500, limpia wrote:
>
>> On 2016-08-27 08:55, Steve Greig wrote:
>> >I would like to download a programme (opencpn) onto my laptop which is
>> >running debian. It is so long since I have done this I can not
>> >remember how to start. Also I am not sure which version of debian I
>> >have which seems to be relevant according to the website. Instructions
>> >are given at x [1].
>  ^
>  |
>  |
> What happened here-| ? The link has disappeared, Censorship at work?

limpia appears to have edited the URL out of his reply, since he is
recommending not using it.  It is still there in the original post, as
one would expect.

>> >Any advice would be very  much appreciated. Steve
>> >
>> >
>> >Links:
>> >--
>> 
>> You can use 'uname -a ' to see what version of Debian
>> you have.
>
> Really? Positive?

More usefully, no, uname -a won't give the Debian version.
/etc/debian_version should contain the correct version, if it hasn't
been modified on your site.  As the documentation for base-files says,
however, the contents of your /etc/apt/sources.list and
/etc/apt/sources.list.d/* are a more reliable way to determine it.

>>  However, you also might want to read this:
>> https://wiki.debian.org/DontBreakDebian
>> 
>>  It is not a good idea to be using ubunto ppa's like
>> the instructions say on the link you posted.
>
> If it works, it works.

And if it doesn't, you're screwed.

>>  As far as installing Debian packages goes, there is
>> plenty of documentation on that:
>> https://wiki.debian.org/DebianPackageManagement
>> 
>> If you really need this program, and the source code
>> is available, you can follow the instructions here:
>> https://wiki.debian.org/CreatePackageFromPPA
>
> If it works, it works.

And if it doesn't, you're screwed.

>>  But it still something, personally I would not
>> recommend.
>
> Even if it works?

It is a really good idea to check the contents of the PPA, and make sure
it doesn't bring in nonstandard versions of system libraries.  I don't
remember ever having been burned by a PPA specifically, but I did once
have to spend a day cleaning stuff from debian-multimedia (long ago
enough that it wasn't deb-multimedia yet) off my system.

I frankly have to worry about somebody who is asking for help installing
from a PPA then being able to clean up if it goes sour.

Re: Advice on downloading software please

[Daniel Bareiro]

On 27/08/16 16:45, Brian wrote:

>> On 2016-08-27 08:55, Steve Greig wrote:
>>> I would like to download a programme (opencpn) onto my laptop which is
>>> running debian. It is so long since I have done this I can not
>>> remember how to start. Also I am not sure which version of debian I
>>> have which seems to be relevant according to the website. Instructions
>>> are given at x [1].
>  ^
>  |
>  |
> What happened here-| ? The link has disappeared, Censorship at work?

Maybe some intermediate processing performed by openmailbox.org,

Kind regards,
Daniel



signature.asc
Description: OpenPGP digital signature

Re: Advice on downloading software please

[Brian]

On Sat 27 Aug 2016 at 17:10:32 -0400, rhkra...@gmail.com wrote:

> On Saturday, August 27, 2016 03:45:47 PM Brian wrote:
> > On Sat 27 Aug 2016 at 09:15:50 -0500, limpia wrote:
> > > On 2016-08-27 08:55, Steve Greig wrote:
> > > >I would like to download a programme (opencpn) onto my laptop which is
> > > >running debian. It is so long since I have done this I can not
> > > >remember how to start. Also I am not sure which version of debian I
> > > >have which seems to be relevant according to the website. Instructions
> > > >are given at x [1].
> > 
> >^
> > 
> > 
> > What happened here-| ? The link has disappeared, Censorship at work?
> 
> Just to provide a datapoint, the link showed up fine in the copy of Steve's 
> post that I received.  And, as a test, here it is again:
> 
> http://opencpn.org/ocpn/download.

As another datapoint:

  https://lists.debian.org/debian-user/2016/08/msg00884.html

Re: Advice on downloading software please

[rhkramer]

On Saturday, August 27, 2016 03:45:47 PM Brian wrote:
> On Sat 27 Aug 2016 at 09:15:50 -0500, limpia wrote:
> > On 2016-08-27 08:55, Steve Greig wrote:
> > >I would like to download a programme (opencpn) onto my laptop which is
> > >running debian. It is so long since I have done this I can not
> > >remember how to start. Also I am not sure which version of debian I
> > >have which seems to be relevant according to the website. Instructions
> > >are given at x [1].
> 
>  ^
> 
> 
> What happened here-| ? The link has disappeared, Censorship at work?

Just to provide a datapoint, the link showed up fine in the copy of Steve's 
post that I received.  And, as a test, here it is again:

http://opencpn.org/ocpn/download.

Re: Advice on downloading software please

[Brian]

On Sat 27 Aug 2016 at 09:15:50 -0500, limpia wrote:

> On 2016-08-27 08:55, Steve Greig wrote:
> >I would like to download a programme (opencpn) onto my laptop which is
> >running debian. It is so long since I have done this I can not
> >remember how to start. Also I am not sure which version of debian I
> >have which seems to be relevant according to the website. Instructions
> >are given at x [1].
   ^
   |
   |
What happened here-| ? The link has disappeared, Censorship at work?

> >Any advice would be very  much appreciated. Steve
> >
> >
> >Links:
> >--
> 
> You can use 'uname -a ' to see what version of Debian
> you have.

Really? Positive?

>  However, you also might want to read this:
> https://wiki.debian.org/DontBreakDebian
> 
>  It is not a good idea to be using ubunto ppa's like
> the instructions say on the link you posted.

If it works, it works.

>  As far as installing Debian packages goes, there is
> plenty of documentation on that:
> https://wiki.debian.org/DebianPackageManagement
> 
> If you really need this program, and the source code
> is available, you can follow the instructions here:
> https://wiki.debian.org/CreatePackageFromPPA

If it works, it works.

>  But it still something, personally I would not
> recommend.

Even if it works?

Re: Advice on downloading software please

[Miles Fidelman]

On 8/27/16 9:55 AM, Steve Greig wrote:

I would like to download a programme (opencpn) onto my laptop which is 
running debian. It is so long since I have done this I can not 
remember how to start. Also I am not sure which version of debian I 
have which seems to be relevant according to the website. Instructions 
are given at http://opencpn.org/ocpn/download.


Any advice would be very  much appreciated. Steve


Well, normally, I'd recommend either:
a. using apt to install from a Debian repository, or if not available,
b. downloading a tarball to /usr/local/src and then ./configure; make; 
make check; make install


But... there doesn't seem to be either a Debian package or a tarball.  
The code is GPL, and it's all on GitHub (including and INSTALL file 
giving instructions for building from source) - but the actual files are 
all spread out.


My suggestion would be to contact the developers and ask where to find a 
current source tarball.


Miles Fidelman


--
In theory, there is no difference between theory and practice.
In practice, there is.   Yogi Berra

Re: Advice on downloading software please

[limpia]

On 2016-08-27 08:55, Steve Greig wrote:

I would like to download a programme (opencpn) onto my laptop which is
running debian. It is so long since I have done this I can not
remember how to start. Also I am not sure which version of debian I
have which seems to be relevant according to the website. Instructions
are given at x [1].

Any advice would be very  much appreciated. Steve


Links:
--


You can use 'uname -a ' to see what version of Debian
you have.
 However, you also might want to read this:
https://wiki.debian.org/DontBreakDebian

 It is not a good idea to be using ubunto ppa's like
the instructions say on the link you posted.
 As far as installing Debian packages goes, there is
plenty of documentation on that:
https://wiki.debian.org/DebianPackageManagement

If you really need this program, and the source code
is available, you can follow the instructions here:
https://wiki.debian.org/CreatePackageFromPPA

 But it still something, personally I would not
recommend.

--
¿Cómo no romper Debian :(Don'tBreakDebian)
https://wiki.debian.org/es/DontBreakDebian

Advice on downloading software please

[Steve Greig]

I would like to download a programme (opencpn) onto my laptop which is
running debian. It is so long since I have done this I can not remember how
to start. Also I am not sure which version of debian I have which seems to
be relevant according to the website. Instructions are given at
http://opencpn.org/ocpn/download.

Any advice would be very  much appreciated. Steve