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Re: new debian packages - what iss so good about Unix/X
On Thu, 22 May 1997, Boris Kreitchman wrote:
>
> > On Mon, 19 May 1997 21:24:48 +0300, Amos Shapira wrote:
> >
> > >Hi,
> > >
> > >Just for once to show all those RH freeks that Debian is far from
> > >being static :-), here is the list of NEW (i.e. not including updated)
> > >packages in the last two weeks or so.
> > >
> >
> Well... it's always posible to compile and install program from
> the source (that's why source exists :)...
> Many programs like irc, ncftp, joe etc can be installed simply by
> doing configure/couple changes in Makefile, config.h/make/make install.
> Of course configuring of gcc or perl is not so trivial thing..
>
> So generaly if you want some program, but there is no package
> for your distribution you can just get foobar.tar.gz and
> compile it byyourself. In this case you can configure
> it for your personal needs, get latest version and not wait
> while package will come out, understand more about how the
> program works.
The truth is that is what I wanted to hear :{)
RH packages make you stupid. People ask - my God
it is not rpm - I can not click on it in glint to
install it - so I can not use it ?!?
Or I just take some contrib rpm, and without knowing
what exactly it will do I'll install it.
Do you remember Ira's contrib Perl accident?
His system was screwed AFAIR. I built rpms package myself and
I know that it is easy to make rpm, and it is very easy
to make it the way it will screw something because your
lack of knowlegde. I hope original rpms form RH are more safe
than mine :{)
Still, when you install rpm, it feels like installing Windows
program. You click, you do not really know what is happening,
where those files go and why. But do not worry, some smart guy
already decided everything for you :{)
AFAIK what is so wonderfull about Unix/X is that you
can run the same program from Alphas, Suns and to PCs
if just have sources. RPM is somehow hides this Unix / X
advantage. *.rpm and *.deb reminds me trials of MS, Netscape
and other big guys to fource us to use its products by
'extanding' standarts, and making them incompatable with
others. Remember - "best viewed with Netscape/IE" ?
Most modern programs come with autoconf/imake or some similar
tool, with wich you can easily compile it on almost any
known Unix platform.
I'm not saying that everybody should compile gcc or XFree,
but binary packages IMHO should come in tar.gz So I can use
it in any system. After all what is package - it is binary files +
dependencies files + installation scripts. I know a lot of people
who had to install rpm in non RH Linuces just to install some RPM
package, which comes without source.
Now I'll add off - topic about FreeBSD.
FreeBSD has package management, that I love most :{)
You can install either binary package or just to compile it.
In both ways dependencies checked, and package inserted into
database. Also in both ways, installation can be done by ftp.
Yes, you run 'make install' and it downloads the source file.
( no need to tell that I prefer the second way :{) ). What you
need to have to compile a package is only "deltas" from original
source tar.gz, which take minimum disk space.
Did you know that....
- You can install FreeBSD, without CD, from *ONE* floppy
by ftp/ppp?
- You can synchronize your whole system source code ( not only
kernel ) with any FreeBSD branch -stable -current or any other?
- You can recompile the whole system ( not only kernel ) by just
'make world'
FreeBSD has many other avantages, but I think I'll leave it to
the next time :{)
If you are intrested check out
http://www.freebsd.org/
>
>
> /===========================================\==========================\
> | Boris Kreitchman / K33P TH3 PH1R3 8URN1N6 | |
> |-------------------------------------------| Tell me and I forget. |
> | email: scorpion@ory.ph.biu.ac.il | Teach me and I remember. |
> | bkreitch@macs.biu.ac.il | Involve me and I learn. |
> | EFNet IRC Nick: Skorpion | -- Ben Franklin |
> | Tel: (+972) 8-921-77-13 | |
> \===========================================\==========================/
>
>
>
>
>
Alexander Indenbaum
baum@actcom.co.il
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