Comments on: Jargon Jam – Repo http://danlynch.org/blog/2009/05/repo/ Linux News, Reviews, Tips and Rambling :) Fri, 06 Jan 2012 14:21:04 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Dan http://danlynch.org/blog/2009/05/repo/comment-page-1/#comment-1969 Dan Wed, 20 May 2009 11:49:57 +0000 http://danlynch.org/blog/?p=902#comment-1969 @Edy - I completely agree, that should never happen. It's a mistake and things like that need to be avoided. The system isn't perfect, individual errors happen at times but I do think the overall model is the right one. I love Libre.fm and have holey supported it here as you know. However, I couldn't argue it was a core package to any Linux distribution at the moment. It hasn't even been packaged in the way I've referred to here, it's a Python script. It's not installed through a repo. In time I'm sure it will be packaged, it's a project with started less than 2 months ago. Let's not lose sight of that. I appreciate your overall point and as I said I agree with it, any problems need to be fixed. @Edy – I completely agree, that should never happen. It’s a mistake and things like that need to be avoided. The system isn’t perfect, individual errors happen at times but I do think the overall model is the right one. I love Libre.fm and have holey supported it here as you know. However, I couldn’t argue it was a core package to any Linux distribution at the moment. It hasn’t even been packaged in the way I’ve referred to here, it’s a Python script. It’s not installed through a repo. In time I’m sure it will be packaged, it’s a project with started less than 2 months ago. Let’s not lose sight of that. I appreciate your overall point and as I said I agree with it, any problems need to be fixed.

]]> By: Senshikaze http://danlynch.org/blog/2009/05/repo/comment-page-1/#comment-1968 Senshikaze Wed, 20 May 2009 11:32:18 +0000 http://danlynch.org/blog/?p=902#comment-1968 Great article, I think you explained the overall advantage of repos over the "hunt and install" methods of Windows and Mac. @edythemighty: "Those things shouldn't happen" You are right, but since the Ubuntu repos are controlled by humans, mistakes do happen. Nitpiking on one or two packages isn't all that fair to the men and women who put in many hours making sure the other 19,998 packages work as well as possible. One of the advantages of Archlinux (I know, I know) is the AUR, which allows you to find programs that others wanted or needed, but were not in the repo's, and install them. It even does it in a way that pacman can keep control of it (though no updates unless you use some automatic script). I have found many good programs there. Including ones from the x86 repo that didn't have an x86_64 version (skype). Great article, I think you explained the overall advantage of repos over the “hunt and install” methods of Windows and Mac.
@edythemighty: “Those things shouldn’t happen” You are right, but since the Ubuntu repos are controlled by humans, mistakes do happen. Nitpiking on one or two packages isn’t all that fair to the men and women who put in many hours making sure the other 19,998 packages work as well as possible.

One of the advantages of Archlinux (I know, I know) is the AUR, which allows you to find programs that others wanted or needed, but were not in the repo’s, and install them. It even does it in a way that pacman can keep control of it (though no updates unless you use some automatic script). I have found many good programs there. Including ones from the x86 repo that didn’t have an x86_64 version (skype).

]]> By: edythemighty http://danlynch.org/blog/2009/05/repo/comment-page-1/#comment-1966 edythemighty Wed, 20 May 2009 04:16:08 +0000 http://danlynch.org/blog/?p=902#comment-1966 @Dan: Well, a simple example would be the BeautifulSoup Python module that the libre.fm last.fm profile scraper uses. A simple shift from an old beta to a newer beta completely broke it. Luckily, the Debian repos had the earlier beta still, so i was still able to use it somewhat. i had to dive into the package manager for that. That's stuff that shouldn't happen :-/ @Dan: Well, a simple example would be the BeautifulSoup Python module that the libre.fm last.fm profile scraper uses. A simple shift from an old beta to a newer beta completely broke it. Luckily, the Debian repos had the earlier beta still, so i was still able to use it somewhat. i had to dive into the package manager for that. That’s stuff that shouldn’t happen :-/

]]> By: Dan http://danlynch.org/blog/2009/05/repo/comment-page-1/#comment-1965 Dan Tue, 19 May 2009 23:49:47 +0000 http://danlynch.org/blog/?p=902#comment-1965 @PSquid - That's a shame. Have they said why this is? I mentioned Ubuntu purely because it's a name new users may have heard of and can relate to. I wouldn't hold up their repos as perfect be any means. I know they're getting deep into Mono these days. Are they pushing MonoDevelop instead? That would be controversial @PSquid – That’s a shame. Have they said why this is? I mentioned Ubuntu purely because it’s a name new users may have heard of and can relate to. I wouldn’t hold up their repos as perfect be any means. I know they’re getting deep into Mono these days. Are they pushing MonoDevelop instead? That would be controversial

]]> By: Dan http://danlynch.org/blog/2009/05/repo/comment-page-1/#comment-1964 Dan Tue, 19 May 2009 23:42:32 +0000 http://danlynch.org/blog/?p=902#comment-1964 Thanks Edy, I haven't tried EtoileOS but I should do. Good tip. You often mention all these problems you've had with low level libraries and such, I haven't had any of that myself. Maybe I'm just lucky, or maybe you're unlucky :D I've also installed newer versions of apps from sites like getdeb.net and it's never caused a problem. Download the .deb and double click, same experience to other operating systems if that's what you want. I know what you're saying, that the deb file doesn't contain absolutely everything to make the program run and your package manager will pull in the extra stuff. You're right about that. So far it's never been an issue for me, touch wood. Thanks Edy, I haven’t tried EtoileOS but I should do. Good tip. You often mention all these problems you’ve had with low level libraries and such, I haven’t had any of that myself. Maybe I’m just lucky, or maybe you’re unlucky :D I’ve also installed newer versions of apps from sites like getdeb.net and it’s never caused a problem. Download the .deb and double click, same experience to other operating systems if that’s what you want. I know what you’re saying, that the deb file doesn’t contain absolutely everything to make the program run and your package manager will pull in the extra stuff. You’re right about that. So far it’s never been an issue for me, touch wood.

]]> By: PSquid http://danlynch.org/blog/2009/05/repo/comment-page-1/#comment-1963 PSquid Tue, 19 May 2009 23:33:03 +0000 http://danlynch.org/blog/?p=902#comment-1963 @edythemighty Don't forget the fact that Ubuntu does not seem to be getting new versions of Eclipse since 3.2 @edythemighty
Don’t forget the fact that Ubuntu does not seem to be getting new versions of Eclipse since 3.2

]]> By: edythemighty http://danlynch.org/blog/2009/05/repo/comment-page-1/#comment-1962 edythemighty Tue, 19 May 2009 23:13:09 +0000 http://danlynch.org/blog/?p=902#comment-1962 In MacOS there are some core frameworks that do handle the upgrade hustle a per-app basis for third party apps. The GNU/Open/NEXT/Step-whatever method of bundled .app files is interesting, in that it apps are ready to be installed right away with no fussing over libraries, etc in most cases. A big problem I have with some repositories is that some software will take forever to get packaged for your particular distribution, for instance Ubuntu, which ran behind on packaging brand new versions of Firefox, OpenOffice, etc. In such cases, an easily installable file that can be downloaded from the website would be great, especially if it migrated profile settings etc. If I want to use a slightly more updated version of Firefox than the one in the repos, I either have to shuffle some things around to replace the standard version with a newer I download, or run them separately... Have you checked out EtoileOS yet? It's a project that's helping to revitalize GNUStep and bring into the new age of computing! It's sometimes nice not having to worry if Y low-level library's recent update from x.7 to x.8 doesn't break your system :( So yeah, be sure to check out Etoile and give it a spin: http://etoileos.com/ In MacOS there are some core frameworks that do handle the upgrade hustle a per-app basis for third party apps. The GNU/Open/NEXT/Step-whatever method of bundled .app files is interesting, in that it apps are ready to be installed right away with no fussing over libraries, etc in most cases. A big problem I have with some repositories is that some software will take forever to get packaged for your particular distribution, for instance Ubuntu, which ran behind on packaging brand new versions of Firefox, OpenOffice, etc. In such cases, an easily installable file that can be downloaded from the website would be great, especially if it migrated profile settings etc. If I want to use a slightly more updated version of Firefox than the one in the repos, I either have to shuffle some things around to replace the standard version with a newer I download, or run them separately…

Have you checked out EtoileOS yet? It’s a project that’s helping to revitalize GNUStep and bring into the new age of computing! It’s sometimes nice not having to worry if Y low-level library’s recent update from x.7 to x.8 doesn’t break your system :(

So yeah, be sure to check out Etoile and give it a spin: http://etoileos.com/

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