On Wed, 2013-01-02 at 11:24 -0800, Walter Bright wrote: […] > It does when you don't remember what goes in the host file, what you had > installed, redoing all the ssh keys, etc. It also deleted all my virtual > boxes, > I never did figure out how to get them working again. I simply gave up on > virtual boxes as more trouble than they're worth.
Host file problem should self-organize on reinstall. What you had isntalled is a question of regularly doing: dpkg --get-selections > /some/place/you/remember/on/backup/machine SSH keys can be a problem. I don't do virtual machines, but deletion sounds like it is actually another problem. Virtual machines are great for training rooms. > It also nuked all my mail and calender data, which is why I don't use Ubuntu > for > mail or calender anymore, nor do I use it for music (same thing happened). Over-reaction to the wrong issue. Evolution is entirely fine for mail and calendar, I use it all the time on Debian and Fedora. Playing music with rhythmbox also works fine on Debian and Fedora. Also with mediatomb as a server. Where were your backups. I can vapourize a Debian/Fedora dual boot machine and have it up and running with the last backup up state in 2 hours. In the meantime I can be working on another machine and then have everything sync up in a matter of minutes. Losing mail and data and OS configuration sounds like a lack of proper sys admin approach. > The only actual trouble I had was the installer assumed a screen larger than > the > one I had, and insisted on putting the [next] button off the bottom of the > screen. Argh. I'd agree there, I had similar problems with the Ubuntu installer, which was turned into something horrible, but may have since evolved to be something usable. I have never had any such problems with Debian or Fedora installers. > P.S. I like calendar programs, but on Windows and Ubuntu, upgrading the OS > inevitably deletes the calendar database. None of those frackin' calendar > programs ever deign to tell me where they store their frackin' database, so I > can back it up. I really, really don't understand mail and calendar programs > that make it difficult to back up the data. I quit using Outlook Express > because > it stored the mail database in a hidden directory. WTF? Thunderbird is > better, > but not much. I think we can blame DOS and then Windows for enshrining the idea that all configuration information should be stored in C:\ and never replicated anywhere. Sadly the XDG filestore specification is good but has some glaring problems replicating configuration and cache files across machines. -- Russel. ============================================================================= Dr Russel Winder t: +44 20 7585 2200 voip: sip:russel.win...@ekiga.net 41 Buckmaster Road m: +44 7770 465 077 xmpp: rus...@winder.org.uk London SW11 1EN, UK w: www.russel.org.uk skype: russel_winder
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