Re: downgrade qt version from 5 to 4

[Andrew M.A. Cater]

On Thu, Nov 11, 2021 at 02:56:06PM +0100, Jerome BENOIT wrote:
> 
> 
> 
> On 11/11/2021 14:20, Greg Wooledge wrote:
> > On Thu, Nov 11, 2021 at 02:10:40PM +0100, lina wrote:
> > > Thanks all for the input. My problem originated from after the system
> > > upgrade to bullseye, the gaussian view (gview) won't be able to show the
> > > result file.
> 
> actually gview stands for G[tk] view (distributed in gvim package)
> 

Gview in vim should countinue to work but ...

Not in this instance, this is GaussianView - a (very expensive) commercial 
program for viewing chemistry "stuff". Actually, the main Gaussian product is
*hugely* expensive but has a 20 year licence term so is not bad for 
the cost

Lina

My suggestion is that you talk to the person at your work/academic 
institution who handles technical support and/or purchasing of this program
to ask them to contact the vendor. It may be that the vendor is not yet
up to date with Bullseye and still only supports Buster [in which case
it may be good to tell them it has < 1 year of full Debian support left.]
That would also explain why it is compiled against particular library
versions or whatever - and also why you need high performance graphics 
to work well for you.


Likewise, with luck, you've got someone who will help with some technical
support at your workplace/institution. Ask around?

> > > As gview is an essential part in my work, these days my work is stranded
> > > due to it. I don't know how to fix it. Honestly.
> > 
> > If this program doesn't work under bullseye, but is known to work under
> > buster, then I see three main courses of action from which you might
> > choose:
> > 
> > 1) Buy a new computer, install buster on it, and use gview on this.
> 
> you can also consider a remote computer.
> 
> > 
> > 2) Install buster inside a chroot, or a virtual machine, or some other
> > virtual layering technology, on your bullseye computer.  Run gview
> > within the virtual buster environment.
> 
> This looks the best solution here (for short and long term):
> https://wiki.debian.org/Schroot
> 
> > 
> > 3) Reinstall buster instead of bullseye on your current machine.
> 
> 
> 4) dual boot: Buster / Bulleye (but heavy, so to avoid).
> 
> > 
> > Once you've restored your ability to do your work, *then* you can try
> > to pursue long-term solutions so that you aren't stuck with a perpetual
> > out-of-date buster environment for this one program.
> > 
> 
> Cheers,
> Jerome
> 
> -- 
> Jerome BENOIT | calculus+at-rezozer^dot*net
> https://qa.debian.org/developer.php?login=calcu...@rezozer.net
> AE28 AE15 710D FF1D 87E5  A762 3F92 19A6 7F36 C68B
> 

Hope this helps someone,

All the very best, as ever,

Andy Cater

Re: downgrade qt version from 5 to 4

[David Wright]

On Thu 11 Nov 2021 at 14:56:06 (+0100), Jerome BENOIT wrote:
> On 11/11/2021 14:20, Greg Wooledge wrote:
> > On Thu, Nov 11, 2021 at 02:10:40PM +0100, lina wrote:
> > > Thanks all for the input. My problem originated from after the system
> > > upgrade to bullseye, the gaussian view (gview) won't be able to show the
> > > result file.
> 
> actually gview stands for G[tk] view (distributed in gvim package)
> 
> > > As gview is an essential part in my work, these days my work is stranded
> > > due to it. I don't know how to fix it. Honestly.
> > 
> > If this program doesn't work under bullseye, but is known to work under
> > buster, then I see three main courses of action from which you might
> > choose:
> > 
> > 1) Buy a new computer, install buster on it, and use gview on this.
> 
> you can also consider a remote computer.
> 
> > 2) Install buster inside a chroot, or a virtual machine, or some other
> > virtual layering technology, on your bullseye computer.  Run gview
> > within the virtual buster environment.
> 
> This looks the best solution here (for short and long term):
> https://wiki.debian.org/Schroot
> 
> > 3) Reinstall buster instead of bullseye on your current machine.
> 
> 4) dual boot: Buster / Bulleye (but heavy, so to avoid).

That depends what you mean by "heavy". To someone like me, who
typically runs computers "of a certain age", (2) is the heavy
option, and (4) is lightweight because the OS never has to do
any more than it ever did.

For more than a decade, I've routinely partitioned my systems so as to
have two root partitions, and I flip between them as Debian evolves.
/home (encrypted) and any swap (random encrypted) partitions are
shared.

When I install a new version, I first check the ssh keys, and decide
whether to copy the old ones to the new system (easier) or vice versa
(means other machines have to be updated too).

Then I watch out for any software where there are significant changes
in configuration files and, if so, deal with them by versioning:
eg, restore the old dotfiles from backup, and set up a logon script to
flip a symlink to point to the appropriate version of dotfiles.

It's rarely very long before I cease booting the older version, but
it takes the pressure off from having to make all the necessary changes
at one and the same time.

> > Once you've restored your ability to do your work, *then* you can try
> > to pursue long-term solutions so that you aren't stuck with a perpetual
> > out-of-date buster environment for this one program.

Cheers,
David.

Re: downgrade qt version from 5 to 4

[Jerome BENOIT]

On 11/11/2021 14:20, Greg Wooledge wrote:

On Thu, Nov 11, 2021 at 02:10:40PM +0100, lina wrote:

Thanks all for the input. My problem originated from after the system
upgrade to bullseye, the gaussian view (gview) won't be able to show the
result file.


actually gview stands for G[tk] view (distributed in gvim package)


As gview is an essential part in my work, these days my work is stranded
due to it. I don't know how to fix it. Honestly.


If this program doesn't work under bullseye, but is known to work under
buster, then I see three main courses of action from which you might
choose:

1) Buy a new computer, install buster on it, and use gview on this.


you can also consider a remote computer.



2) Install buster inside a chroot, or a virtual machine, or some other
virtual layering technology, on your bullseye computer.  Run gview
within the virtual buster environment.


This looks the best solution here (for short and long term):
https://wiki.debian.org/Schroot



3) Reinstall buster instead of bullseye on your current machine.



4) dual boot: Buster / Bulleye (but heavy, so to avoid).



Once you've restored your ability to do your work, *then* you can try
to pursue long-term solutions so that you aren't stuck with a perpetual
out-of-date buster environment for this one program.



Cheers,
Jerome

--
Jerome BENOIT | calculus+at-rezozer^dot*net
https://qa.debian.org/developer.php?login=calcu...@rezozer.net
AE28 AE15 710D FF1D 87E5  A762 3F92 19A6 7F36 C68B



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Re: downgrade qt version from 5 to 4

[Greg Wooledge]

On Thu, Nov 11, 2021 at 02:10:40PM +0100, lina wrote:
> Thanks all for the input. My problem originated from after the system
> upgrade to bullseye, the gaussian view (gview) won't be able to show the
> result file.
> As gview is an essential part in my work, these days my work is stranded
> due to it. I don't know how to fix it. Honestly.

If this program doesn't work under bullseye, but is known to work under
buster, then I see three main courses of action from which you might
choose:

1) Buy a new computer, install buster on it, and use gview on this.

2) Install buster inside a chroot, or a virtual machine, or some other
   virtual layering technology, on your bullseye computer.  Run gview
   within the virtual buster environment.

3) Reinstall buster instead of bullseye on your current machine.

Once you've restored your ability to do your work, *then* you can try
to pursue long-term solutions so that you aren't stuck with a perpetual
out-of-date buster environment for this one program.

Re: downgrade qt version from 5 to 4

[lina]

Hi all,

Thanks all for the input. My problem originated from after the system
upgrade to bullseye, the gaussian view (gview) won't be able to show the
result file.
As gview is an essential part in my work, these days my work is stranded
due to it. I don't know how to fix it. Honestly.
One way is that:
When I open a program, that would be a great way to know which other files
are involved, as I can compare the one that works with the one that does
not work to get a clue.

Thanks again,

On Wed, Nov 10, 2021 at 9:34 PM Andrew M.A. Cater 
wrote:

> On Wed, Nov 10, 2021 at 09:37:22AM +0100, lina wrote:
> > Hi all,
> >
> > In order to have avogadro instead of avogadro2.
> >
> > I intend to downgrade qt5 to qt4.
> >
> > But I can't find the qt4 snapshot from http://snapshot.debian.org/
> >
> > Thanks again for your help, lina
>
> Hi Lina,
>
> As others have said - be really careful.
>
> Is it perhaps possible you may have a series of XY problems here?
>
> https://xyproblem.info/ - which also references Greg who is incredibly
> helpful
>  on this list, especially with scripting problems.
>
> Stating the all too-obvious here from the perspective of someone watching
> this from outside.
>
> Write down for yourself what you actually want to achieve in the simplest
> terms - not how you think it needs to be solved.
>
> Break the problem down to it's simplest parts and steps. If you can't
> break it down: ask here and someone will probably ask questions to help
> break it down more fully.
>
> Work out a starting point - that might be a simple reinstall of Debian
> less graphics drivers and a windowing environment to start with.
>
> The next step might be to build and install Nvidia drivers for your card
>
> The next step might be to then add a windowing manager / desktop
> environment
> (and so on).
>
> Work up from there.
>
> _Most_ problems can be solved this way, perhaps after a false start or two.
> It may still be the case that you run into an impasse - in which case you
> may have to start the process agin given the new constraints you now face.
>
> With every good wish, as ever,
>
> Andy Cater
>
>

Re: downgrade qt version from 5 to 4

[Andrew M.A. Cater]

On Wed, Nov 10, 2021 at 09:37:22AM +0100, lina wrote:
> Hi all,
> 
> In order to have avogadro instead of avogadro2.
> 
> I intend to downgrade qt5 to qt4.
> 
> But I can't find the qt4 snapshot from http://snapshot.debian.org/
> 
> Thanks again for your help, lina

Hi Lina,

As others have said - be really careful. 

Is it perhaps possible you may have a series of XY problems here? 

https://xyproblem.info/ - which also references Greg who is incredibly helpful
 on this list, especially with scripting problems.

Stating the all too-obvious here from the perspective of someone watching 
this from outside.

Write down for yourself what you actually want to achieve in the simplest
terms - not how you think it needs to be solved.

Break the problem down to it's simplest parts and steps. If you can't
break it down: ask here and someone will probably ask questions to help
break it down more fully.

Work out a starting point - that might be a simple reinstall of Debian
less graphics drivers and a windowing environment to start with.

The next step might be to build and install Nvidia drivers for your card

The next step might be to then add a windowing manager / desktop environment
(and so on).

Work up from there.

_Most_ problems can be solved this way, perhaps after a false start or two.
It may still be the case that you run into an impasse - in which case you
may have to start the process agin given the new constraints you now face.

With every good wish, as ever,

Andy Cater

Re: downgrade qt version from 5 to 4

[Jonathan Dowland]

On Wed, Nov 10, 2021 at 09:37:22AM +0100, lina wrote:

In order to have avogadro instead of avogadro2.

I intend to downgrade qt5 to qt4.


You shouldn't need to: qt4 and 5, in theory at least, should be
co-installable. Alas, Qt4 was enthusiastically purged from Debian at the
earliest opportunity. As others have suggested, running a special VM (or
container) with an older Debian release within it might be the best way
to go.

--
Please do not CC me for listmail.

  Jonathan Dowland
✎j...@debian.org
   https://jmtd.net

Re: downgrade qt version from 5 to 4

[Christian Britz]

On 10.11.21 at 09:37 lina wrote:
> I intend to downgrade qt5 to qt4. 

Don't do it. You will probably ruin your system. Many packages depend on
qt5.
As others suggested, you migh try running an older version of Debian
inside a virtual machine.

Re: downgrade qt version from 5 to 4

[deloptes]

Jerome BENOIT wrote:

>> I intend to downgrade qt5 to qt4.
> 
> You are looking for trouble here.

yes indeed - the only thing that make sense is a virtual machine with some
old distro that has qt4

-- 
FCD6 3719 0FFB F1BF 38EA 4727 5348 5F1F DCFE BCB0

Re: downgrade qt version from 5 to 4

[Jerome BENOIT]

On 10/11/2021 09:37, lina wrote:

Hi all,

In order to have avogadro instead of avogadro2.

I intend to downgrade qt5 to qt4.


You are looking for trouble here.

Jerome



But I can't find the qt4 snapshot from http://snapshot.debian.org/ 


Thanks again for your help, lina


--
Jerome BENOIT | calculus+at-rezozer^dot*net
https://qa.debian.org/developer.php?login=calcu...@rezozer.net
AE28 AE15 710D FF1D 87E5  A762 3F92 19A6 7F36 C68B



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downgrade qt version from 5 to 4

[lina]

Hi all,

In order to have avogadro instead of avogadro2.

I intend to downgrade qt5 to qt4.

But I can't find the qt4 snapshot from http://snapshot.debian.org/

Thanks again for your help, lina