Using KDE 3.5.10 with Testing/Squeeze

[woodsman]

Greetings all,

Is there a good how-to somewhere explaining how to use Testing/Squeeze yet retain KDE 3.5.10?

Recently I started experimenting in earnest with Debian Lenny in VirtualBox. I am new to Debian but not Linux based systems. I have seen enough the past several days with my experiments that I would like to migrate from my current Linux based system to Debian.

I am patiently waiting for KDE 4.x to mature into what I want in a desktop and have remained content with 3.5.10 since KDE 4 was first released. I have been watching KDE 4 development all along and am encouraged with each subsequent release. I anticipate someday moving to KDE 4 but not today.

I also would like more recent apps than those available in Lenny. A few apps are available through Backports, but not enough. I would like to move to Testing/Squeeze but retain KDE 3.5.10. Some folks might suggest Mepis, but I have tried that version and prefer "plain" Debian. I prefer to build my own system from a base rather than "undo" what other developers presume or guess what I want.

Thanks much.

Looking forward to becoming part of the Debian community.

[sir fer]

Good luck...I've tried all manner of ways to get sorted but have had no luck.

I'm not sure it is even possible as there appears to be a lot of lib conflicts etc.

[ComputerBob]

I doubt that it's reasonably possible to do a brand new Squeeze install without KDE4, unless you have an old Squeeze KDE 3.5.x installation CD. Even then, I'm not exactly sure how you'd do it.

But if you have an existing Squeeze with KDE 3.5.10, you can hold back the upgrades that want to change it to KDE4.

I've been using Squeeze full-time since a couple of weeks after it became Debian Testing, but I'm still using KDE 3.5.10 -- and holding back the (currently) 158 upgrades that want to change it to KDE4. I also chose not to take Squeeze's upgrade to grub2, so I'm still running grub-legacy. But because I'm running Squeeze (Testing), I get the benefits of running newer apps than if I were running Lenny (Stable).

As for a how-to, I was never able to get apt-pinning to work for holding KDE 3.5.x, so I just bit the bullet and went through the suggested upgrades (in Synaptic), manually figuring out which ones I could accept and which ones I had to reject. Now that I've been doing that for several months, it's quite easy, since all but a couple of the held-back upgrades have easily recognizable version numbers like 4:4.3.2-1, while the upgrades that will leave KDE alone have non-4.3 version numbers.

edit: Changed "because" to "became" above. /edit

[TheGarage]

Start with a lenny kde full install, with all the kde3.5 related apps you want brought in before dist-upgrading. Then get smxi [not supported here] then add the kdehi script from techpatterns. Change sources.list to testing/squeeze. Log in to init3, as root

Code: Select all

smxi -! 31

will hold all kde3.5 related stuff. It works for me with sidux, so hopefully will work for you with testing, but YMMV & be warned, it will break sometime......eventually..........or so I'm told!

[woodsman]

Do I understand that I first run the kdehi script then run smxi? Like this:

Code: Select all

kdehi
smxi -! 31

Are either of these scripts dependent upon starting in a particular directory?

[TheGarage]

Visit smxi.org for the smxi script, & techpatterns.com for kdehi. kdehi is actually an add on that gets invoked by the "-! 31" part of the "smxi -! 31" command. You'll need to install smxi to /usr/bin. Webpage will tell you how with a simple wget command you can copy & paste, so no need to be in a particular directory to run.

Read how here http://techpatterns.com/forums/about1273.html

[Soul Singin']

I also would like more recent apps than those available in Lenny. A few apps are available through Backports, but not enough.

I prefer to build my own system from a base rather than "undo" what other developers presume or guess what I want.

So why don't you build your own system from a base?

Just install Lenny and create your own backports. You'll learn a lot about Debian and a little bit about programming. Most importantly, you'll become self-reliant.
.

[woodsman]

I doubt that it's reasonably possible to do a brand new Squeeze install without KDE4, unless you have an old Squeeze KDE 3.5.x installation CD. Even then, I'm not exactly sure how you'd do it.

Well, probably I could do as you described in your online journal. Painfully but methodically update a handful of packages at a time. I'll try the smxi tool first.

Visit smxi.org for the smxi script, & techpatterns.com for kdehi . . .

Thanks.

So why don't you build your own system from a base?

By using the word build, I meant a base KDE installation, not a base with no X or GUI at all.

Just install Lenny and create your own backports. You'll learn a lot about Debian and a little bit about programming. Most importantly, you'll become self-reliant.

Perhaps one day I'll learn to build deb packages. Not today. My situation is not about ability but time and diminishing returns. I have spent the past several years using a system that required me to build my own packages and I no longer have the time or desire for that. I respect how much work is involved in supporting thousands of packages and I don't want to sound flippant about wanting to download whatever package I want. Been there done that.

[woodsman]

Visit smxi.org for the smxi script, & techpatterns.com for kdehi

My first attempt at that process was bumpy but 3.5.10 survived. There were several error messages but overall I think the update went okay. I need to start with a fresh installation and try again.

Somehow the Oxygen mouse pointers got installed (with those awful spinning balls). I prefer the old static white or black mouse pointer. How do I delete the Oxygen mouse pointers?

I would appreciate thoughts and links to discussions about converting 3.5.10 to 4.3.4. I am not adverse to the idea of converting to KDE 4. I understand there is an app to help convert app data (Kaboom?). Mostly I am interested in the technical details --- what to watch for when converting, what remains broken or unsupported, etc. I have toyed sufficiently with KDE 4.2.4 to know the look-and-feel and basic desktop operations. I have a copy of the latest Squeeze DVD.