[lug] Using Debian

[David Morris]

There is no doubt you will find more packages in RPM format
than in Debian format, but I, at least, rarely find anything
I actually want to use that is not already in the Debian
archives....you might simply try going to the Debian web
site and doing a search of the packages for any unusual
software you use, see if it is there and what version.

There are major version upgrades sometimes, other times they
back-port patches for security.  It depends on how the new
major version works with older versions.  It is common for
mostly (but not cmpletely) compatible major versions to both
be in the distribution (python1.5 and python2.1 packages for
example) Most of the time, upgrades to new major versions
are invisible to the user.  Stable/Unstable is exactly what
it says:  If the package is not stable (in and of itself, or
with the distribution) it is unstable.

If you have a fast internet connection (DSL is fine usually)
you can install directly fron the net from either a mirror
or the primary source...I have installed from the main
archive on occation, and update from the main archive on
many systems.

I have never had any need for the unstable distribution
(when I needed it, woody was close enough to stable I used
it), so I cannot help you on selecting stable/unstable
packages.

--David

On Mon, Oct 07, 2002 at 11:33:15AM -0600, John Hernandez wrote:
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> I'm a RH user, but have often contemplated trying Debian.  One thing
> that has held me back to some extent is that I'm not sure if it's easy
> to find new software pre-packaged in apt (.deb?) format.  Is that what
> the "unstable" repository is all about?  If it provides relatively new
> software, how far behind does it tend to be, and is it fairy
> comprehensive compared to, say, rpmfind?
> 
> Some explanation of stable vs unstable and debian versioning in general
> might be helpful to me.  For example, does a stable update ever involve
> a software version change, or do they only backport security-related
> patches?
> 
> Does apt-get allow interactive choice between stable and newer
> (presumably unstable) packages if your sources list includes both?
> 
> Also, if I have robust 'net connectivity here, is a network (ftp, http)
> install from a nearby mirror reasonable, or should I download (iso's?)
> and go from there?
> 
> David Morris wrote:
> | every way than RedHat.  And for all those that tout the
> | benefits of other package management systems than apt-get, I
> | can only guess they haven't tried apt-get as I have yet to
> | find a single comparison (objective or otherwise) that could
> | truthfully say there is a better package mangement system
> | than apt-get.
> |
> | --David
> |
> 
> - --
> 
> ~  - John Hernandez - Network Engineer - 303-497-6392 -
> ~ |  National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration   |
> ~ |  Mailstop R/OM62. 325 Broadway, Boulder, CO 80305  |
> ~  ----------------------------------------------------
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