Re: [PLUG] Re: Distro

[Art Clemons <artclemons@aol.com>]

 seanius@seanius.net:
> so does slackware bring in all the dependencies that gaim would need?
> i don't see how that would be much faster with slackware otherwise,
> because you'd have to not only compile everything just the same, but
> you'd have to go out and download all of the dependencies and compile
> them (and the same for their dependencies).

\
Actually, it's not quite that bad with Slackware since Gaim is available 
in the current directory already compiled  and ready to roll.  Further, 
folks are even warned to download the Mozilla 1.4.1 .  Alternatively 
there's http://linuxpackages.net which has many pre-compiled packages 
for Slackware.


> > > True, but I find run levels a hassle if I want to deal wtih X.  I find it 
> > > an unnecessary level of abstraction.
>
>
> i won't argue that.  sysv has its uses, but it's sometimes an ugly
> hack that can be done without. 
>
>
> > > Hardly.  Slackware is simple and easy to administer.  Like your BSD 
>
>
> easy to administer, but how easy is it to keep up to date?  doesn't the
> same lack of package management put more of a burden on the
> administrator to keep up to date with security related information?

There are several choices with slackware, there's the upgradepkg route 
if you obtain the necessary files, then type upgradepkg foobar1.tgz if 
foobar.tgz isn't installed it doesn't upgrade.  There is also a setup 
called swaret which after minor configuration will seek out a server and 
find all of the packages on a Slackware system that need to be updated, 
then allow you to choose whether or not to upgrade the packages. 
Finally there's slapt/slapt-get which is basically a version of apt for 
slackware.  Slackware does have packages and it has one directory where 
a list of packages and all that is installed with the package is listed 
so it's not as difficult as you imagine, it's just different.  I'm 
another slackware user incidentally.

___________________________________________________________________________
Philadelphia Linux Users Group         --        http://www.phillylinux.org
Announcements - http://lists.phillylinux.org/mailman/listinfo/plug-announce
General Discussion  --   http://lists.phillylinux.org/mailman/listinfo/plug