HOWTO: Installing Newer Apps on Etch

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chrismortimore · #16 Post by **chrismortimore** » 2007-05-27 20:04

Lou wrote:Will this solve the scenario you're painting or not?

No. The scenario I'm painting is more of a problem when packages require specific versions of it's dependencies. Such as the ratpoison 1.4.1 deb package requiring libc6 >= 2.5 (as shown here). Given Etch ships with 2.3.6, you probably just went and upgraded a pretty vital bit of your system without thinking to the unstable version. Kind of defeats the point of running stable, doesn't it? And that is for something as simple as ratpoison, for more complex programs, more and more unstable packages will sneek into your computer.

Question, and please answer honestly. Did you check what packages it wanted to upgrade when you installed ratpoison from unstable?

Lou · #17 Post by **Lou** » 2007-05-27 23:45

chrismortimore wrote: Question, and please answer honestly.

I always answer honestly, no ego here

Did you check what packages it wanted to upgrade when you installed ratpoison from unstable?

Yes, i looked at them, there were only two IIRC.

So, am i better off moving to Sid now that i installed these 2 apps? Is it worth it moving the whole system to Sid?

rickh · #18 Post by **rickh** » 2007-05-28 00:55

You've already got libc6 from Sid, but I've been running that for a while on a system that's primarily Lenny with no problems. Personally, I like keeping my "safe" system based in Lenny with things pulled from Sid as needed, rather than randomly.

I would think, though, that you're certainly capable of maintaining a Sid system if you feel like it.

plugwash · #19 Post by **plugwash** » 2007-05-28 01:10

testing/unstable mixes are generally ok, lots of people run them and since the way testing is updated is very similar to mixing testing and unstable the packages had damn well better work in that situation. Stable/testing or stable/unstable mixes are ok right now but will get more and more risky as more and more stuff as testing and unstable move further than further away from stable.

chrismortimore · #20 Post by **chrismortimore** » 2007-05-28 10:16

Lou wrote:So, am i better off moving to Sid now that i installed these 2 apps? Is it worth it moving the whole system to Sid?

I'd suggest either rolling back the packages it upgraded to Etch, or go to Lenny. As plugwash says, a mixed testing/unstable system is fine, because the two are usually pretty similar. Unless you particularly want to go to Sid, I see no reason to. But I'm biased, ever since Sid ate my LVM partitions a few years ago, I've stayed away from it as a host system.

Lou · #21 Post by **Lou** » 2007-05-28 12:34

chrismortimore wrote:I'd suggest either rolling back the packages it upgraded to Etch, or go to Lenny.

Hmm, every mind is a different world. I don't like Lenny, it doesn't have those apps i like. Sid is well... Sid.

I think i'll take my chances with what i got, and if things get nasty i will move to Sid then. In a couple of months i will upgrade the Sid apps i got in Etch. I'm curious to see if the Sid apps upgrade will include the deps too.

The worst thing that can happen is that i will have to reinstall, and this time will be Sid. Thank you all, it sure has been enlightening

chrismortimore · #22 Post by **chrismortimore** » 2007-05-28 13:01

I'd be inclined to edit the first post with a note saying to read this whole thread before trying stuff. Just as a little warning to newcomers.

Lavene · #23 Post by **Lavene** » 2007-05-28 13:26

chrismortimore wrote:I'd be inclined to edit the first post with a note saying to read this whole thread before trying stuff. Just as a little warning to newcomers.

I second that. Since you posted it as a howto, and since temporary changes to sources.list is a bad bad idea, you should make people aware of the fact that it is a bad bad idea. Or even rewrite it a little and avoid the bad bad idea all together

Tina

Lou · #24 Post by **Lou** » 2007-05-28 14:07

Done.

Lou · #25 Post by **Lou** » 2007-05-28 15:22

UPDATE: i dist-upgraded to Sid, installed apt-listbugs, got an error message with xfe, but it works.

Lou · #26 Post by **Lou** » 2007-05-31 01:39

Lou wrote:UPDATE: i dist-upgraded to Sid, installed apt-listbugs, got an error message with xfe, but it works.

Second update: i'm back on Etch 30 May 2007

chrismortimore · #27 Post by **chrismortimore** » 2007-05-31 09:54

Lou wrote:Second update: i'm back on Etch 30 May 2007

Heh, guess your Sid adventure was a little too hectic then?

Lou · #28 Post by **Lou** » 2007-05-31 12:06

Well, i've been on Sid a few times in the past, but this time, the bugs are killing me,(xfe and sylpheed) so i went back to Etch.

Lux · #29 Post by **Lux** » 2007-05-31 17:52

Lou wrote:Well, i've been on Sid a few times in the past, but this time, the bugs are killing me,(xfe and sylpheed) so i went back to Etch.

There doesn't currently seem to be any bug reports filed against xfe in unstable. On the contrary, the latest version of xfe seems to fix bugs found in earlier versions.

Many Debian Sid users want to report all the bugs they've discovered -- this way the problems get fixed ASAP. It's also possible to request new features by sending a bug report with the "wishlist" severity.

The reportbug tool (and the new GUI tool reportbug-ng in unstable) makes reporting bugs a bit easier. Debian.org provides instructions for reporting bugs. And here's an unofficial bug-reporting HOWTO.

I created a special email address for reporting bugs in Debian -- spammers seem to read bugs.debian.org. It's also useful to track responses to your bug reports every now and then because developers may request some additional information.

llivv · #30 Post by **llivv** » 2007-05-31 22:11

Lou · #31 Post by **Lou** » 2007-06-01 00:23

Lux wrote: There doesn't currently seem to be any bug reports filed against xfe in unstable. On the contrary, the latest version of xfe seems to fix bugs found in earlier versions.

There is an error message that comes on every time xfe comes up, "static point is not mounted" or something to that effect, the background colors DO NOT work and sometimes it freezes.

Most people do not want to deal with bug reports, it's a convoluted process. BTW, doesn't the maintainer's job is to test the app in question?

What good does it do anyway? The installer has 2 bugs since you know when and STILL they haven't fixed it. Don't get me started, fanboy!

Lou · #32 Post by **Lou** » 2007-06-01 12:50

llivv wrote: If I dare say, maybe not your "best" HOWTO Lou but an excellent thread none the less.

Unfortunately.

The thing that makes me wonder, why the APT-HOWTO has this and the upgrade of the sid apps, if as the boys here say, it's gona be a can of worms later on?

chrismortimore · #33 Post by **chrismortimore** » 2007-06-01 13:23

Lou wrote:it's gona be a can of worms later on?

Because it says further up that page "If it breaks, you get to keep both halves". It's expected that only people who really know what they are doing and don't mind spending all of their time fixing things are going to do it.

Also, it's saying how to do it in principle. Nowhere does it mention how well it will work

llivv · #34 Post by **llivv** » 2007-06-01 13:50

Lou · #35 Post by **Lou** » 2007-06-01 16:59

chrismortimore wrote:Because it says further up that page "If it breaks, you get to keep both halves". It's expected that only people who really know what they are doing and don't mind spending all of their time fixing things are going to do it.

Also, it's saying how to do it in principle. Nowhere does it mention how well it will work

Hmm, i think they are pissing down our backs, and telling us it's raining