Hi !
Thank you for your mail !
>> >> This may be a really dumb question, but how does one in general find
>> >> out what order packages should be installed? A related question I have
>> >> is how to find out which packages contain required libraries? I tried
>> >> to install gnucash only to have it fail because of dependencies and ask
>> >> for some libraries that I couldn't locate. Is there an approach for
>> >> locating them?
>
>
>I think this is so-NOT-a-dumb question. frustrations in application
>installation and upgrading may be linux's achilles tendon.
Errr, that is what i said. I didn't say that asking where the required
libs are IS a dumb question, it IS a good question. If i caused confusion
it was not my intention. To cut it short - i think installing software
under linux is tricky most times.
>
>hundreds of thousands of web wanderers are learning to trivially
>and tranparently download and install all manner of windoze stuff.
Oke, the difference is, that i never had problems to install software
under windows, under linux i normally do. I run my W95 system since
september 95 without any problems, the only time i had to reinstall it was
when i installed a broken bus master driver and hat not a working one right
by hand (well, i could have booted it with the rescue disk and then put in
a working one, i bet that would have worked - similar to what one has to do
with Linux).
To cut this short too, i never had problems wih W95 - but i see wondering
that i' seem to be he only one who is in this situation besides Bill Gates.
>
>now, we know of dll-hell and we know that system files are being
>corrupted and we know eventually even the best maintained windoze
>system will completely fail and need to be replaced. but in the
>meantime, winzip and install-shield make the process painless for
>the user and they get to play with their shiny new applications or
>mp3 or game.
Same in Linux !!!! I have a good example. I wanted to install an ICQ app
for Linux, after lookign around i found that LICQ is the one i want. I
tried to compile it and it stopped with an error, because an
libstdc++.so.2.9 was missing. So i got after asking around the hint, that i
have to use the version 2.9 of the c++ compiling stuff (don't understand
that til now !), so i got it from rufus, installed it with no problem - and
still the problem was there.
After weeks of bugging people and getting pissed off i found out that the
same file comes along with two names, a) libstdc++.2.9 and b)
libstdc++.so.2.9. After softlinking the name so that it fits i could
install it.
The Staroffice 5.1 is still impossible to be installed, StarDivision
claimns that it works, but on my out-of-the-box RedHat 5.2 it definetely
doesn't following their instructions.
I bet that sth like that wouldn't have happened within W95.
>
>i've tried rpms cause they are supposed to do most of the work for
>me and keep track of everything and I've tried source tar balls
>cause they are supposed to give me control of the process.
I agree, the rpms are more intelligent than just compiling programs. But
it seems that many programmers reject to issue their programs as rpms.
>
>but either way i run into all manner of dependancy failures and
>circular dependancy failures. And the documentation rarely says
>what to do or why.
I agree there too.
>
>The only install/upgrade i find pain-free and a pleasure is
>configuring and compiling and installing a new kernel. For that,
>there seems to be adequate documentation and step-by-step
>instructions. And so installing the kernel invariably teaches me a
>bit more about my machine and a bit more about how Linux works.
After my experience with a SuSE 6.0 and the fact that one has to recompile
the kernel to get sth basic like soundcard support i stay away from kernel
compilations - for a while, i like to upgrade to a 2.2 version. Afaik they
are available as rpms too.
Maybe we mean the same, just don't get to the same point. I like Linux for
these main reasons
a) it is for free
b) i like the network abilities
c) i like the "anarchy" of the linux users
d) basically i can do the same as with Windows
but
to me W95 is not a bad system. I run it without any problems and have
hardware like scanner, cd-burner and tape streamer. I have to say that i
have the standard original hardware, my soundcard is a genuine SB, my
motherboard is widely supported and so on. If one has just this cheap 69%
compatible stuff one will ru into the same problems with Linux as well with
Windows.
I don't understand why half of the world gets so angry and destructively
mean about Windows, not saying that it is THE system - but as i said, i
never had a problem, with Linux i did.
I think it is silly to beat on Windows all the time, i use both W95 and
Linux with KDE and i find both systems as useable. There are differences
and not so many similarities, but as a newbie Linux gives me a much harder
time than Windows did. And what do we want ? Use our system to do stuff or
use our system to know the intestents of the last detail of the kernel ?
I want to add that english is not my mother tongue, so i'm sorry if sth
sounds harsh or unfair. I like Linux and i like your ISP, the cablemodem is
great, too bad that we don't have that in germany. :(((((
Greez
Dave
