I'm currently running LormaLinux 5, which is based on Fedora C3.
Problem is with apt-mirrors:
I can use Dag's 3 repos and newrpms.sunsite.dk, also fedora.us updates.
But I can't get any mirror containing official release, message is "MD5Sum mismatch"
(fedora.us os,extras; freshrpms all; AT all; livna all)
I tried to disabl e MD5 checking - it never does any good anyway just a big PITA - but no success.
So what do I do? I need some more/bigger repos (desperately need mjpegtools and transcode for instance). So how do I solve/remove this MD5 issue?

you should mix repositories like dag freshrpms with tthe likes of livonia and fedora.us they are well read it here http://dag.wieers.com/home-made/apt/FAQ.php#D

with that said, did you also install the gpg keys for these repos?

see
http://www.fedorafaq.org/#gpgsig

Thanks! I didn't realize MD5Sum had anything to do with GPG, now it works - almost...
Some repos's still don't work, and I can't get transcode and streamer/xawtv because of dependance issues...
I'll keep trying mirrors - but I will never ever understand why installing applications has to be so weird in Linux!
Anyway, thanks again jlawren7, you solved my checksum-problem.

It doesn't. They are independent concepts. MD5 is used for calculating checksums for packages. GnuPG is used to apply digital signatures to RPM packages.
It isn't. You have a serious misconception about RPM based packages. Your problems with dependencies are home-made.

That's just what I thought. So how come installing GPG-keys solved the MD5SumMismatch???
Interresting!
I've spent 4 years with Linux at home, trying to install various app's downloaded by a friend or from CD's/DVD's... You know those disc's you get from computer mag's. If filled with Windows-programs: just insert the disc and install, I have tried hundreds of Win-app's that way. Only 1 out of 100 apps didn't install.
If filled with Linux-app's: try to install, dependencies, get the dependencies, try to install them, more dep's...
1 out of 100 app's can be installed.
Now I have a fast Internet-connection, trying Ubuntu, Lorma, Fedora... Apt, Yum, rpm installation:
Well, apt is pretty good - once you get the repo's. It took me some time, but now I have 6 repo's and can install pretty many programs.
But transcode, imagemagick, xawtv and several more - dependancies, dependancies....
And I haven't mentioned all those programs I can't installe because they are installed but not installed when something depends on it... Not too rare on rpm-systems!
And those DVD's that came with LinuxFormat: "program x runs directly from disc!" Sure, not on any computer I've tried them on (for this I definitely don't blame anybody but LinuxFormat - they're commercial, they're actually lying to their customers. So they have one less.)

How do you mean - "homemade"?

Hmmm... we're getting a bit of topic I believe - but I find it interesting!
Any application that's "commercial" in any way just installs in Linux!
AbiWord, Galeon, transcode ... almost impossible to install!
Opera, OpenOffice, Thunderbird, every game I've bought, apache, MySQL etc etc simply installs.
I don't want a war now, just explain to me how I create these dependency-problems???

That depends on how exactly Apt-Rpm differs between package checksum error and missing public GPG key to verify the signature. Just run rpm -Kv packagefile.rpm to see such checks in detail.
With the big difference that those applications were made for a specific main-stream operating system series and had full control over what system files they could update or modify (and due to that they are able to break other applications after installation). The same would be possible with a Linux distribution. There are CD auto-start features which can be used to launch custom Linux application installers.
That's exactly what I call "home-made problems". See below for a combined comment. If dependencies are your only gripe, you've not understood the reason why they exist. RPM is no magic bullet for compatibility problems. It's just a package format. Software authors often provide binary RPMs, but don't say on which distribution they built their packages. That's one reason why distribution specific package repositories exist.
So what? You've got the tools to resolve package dependencies automatically. You've got repositories which offer applications built for your specific Linux distribution version. If you still see missing dependencies, you should reconsider which repositories you use. There are no dependency problems with repositories which "just work". ImageMagick is included with Fedora Core, btw. Maybe you try to install from an incompatible or incomplete set of repositories?

Now back to the comment on "home-made problems". It's you, who chooses what to install and where to download from. And if you try to install packages which were not built for your specific Linux distribution version, you may run into problems or need to build from source code yourself. Repositories offer software made for a specific Linux distribution, e.g. Fedora Core 3. If you fail to install packages from such a repository, they either introduced a package bug or it's your mistake. For instance, a misconfigured package tool. Adding all available repositories doesn't improve the situation either, as repository mixing leads to conflicts.

Further, you need to understand that Linux has a fast pace of development, which results in ABI/API changes not just in core OS components, but also in other components of a big modern Linux distribution which is shipped on multiple CDs. The former is not a big problem, because with the availability of source code, it is possible to just rebuilt software for the changes in the most recent Linux distribution. However, when you want to run the very latest and greatest Linux distribution, you would need compatibility support for older binary applications. In application areas where you depend on core OS stability, there are Linux distributions which are stable for many years. Specific API requirements become a problem, when a software vendor releases binary applications without making sure that the required library versions are available on users' installations. E.g. he still develops on Red Hat Linux 8.0 and doesn't care about development in Red Hat Linux 9 and later. Theoretically, the vendor could fix this.

What you don't want is one-click installation of arbitrary Linux applications using custom executable installers. Using Yum/Apt-Rpm already bears enough risks, as every repository out there is permitted to upgrade your core OS packages unless you know what you are doing. This can break your system badly, if e.g. glibc is replaced (which is like replacing an important DLL in Windows). Inserting a CD and launching a Superuser based application installer would be able to downgrade/replace core libraries or even arbitrary files and could lead to no end of problems. RPM based installation offers a bit of protection in this area, provided that you install RPM packages from trusted package sources.

What you want is consolidation. An even wider range of prebuilt applications for the most popular Linux distributions, available via Yum (or future package tools) within a small set of repositories which grow in size. This is superior to Windows based installation, where you would visit dozens of individual web sites where to download all your favourite self-extracting .EXE packages. You don't want to search for just another repository, which may provide xawtv, but which conflicts with the other five repositories you've added already. You just want to run "yum install xawtv" directly after installation.

Thanks for a good reply - I'll go through it more thorougly this weekend.
Just one thing before dinner, you didn't comment this:
Which pretty good kills your arguments... I think - but as I said I will read your answer again.
Back on monday!

How does that kill any arguments? Your problems with specific applications are completely unrelated. But let's see, since you like installing from lots of individual repositories:

Abiword is included in Fedora Core 3 and older. "yum install abiword" and you're done. As of Fedora Core 4, abiword most likely will be moved into Fedora Extras.

Galeon is offered in Dag Wieers' repository, http://dag.wieers.com/packages/galeon/ where he offers more than thousand packages together with the other three rpmforge packagers.

Transcode, same here. It's also offered at freshrpms.net (another rpmforge member) and used to be included at rpm.livna.org, too, where it probably will reappear.

Before I comment on these (Apache, MySQL, OOo and Thunderbird are part of Fedora Core), was it a type error or do you find these simple to install?

Yes. Linux is pretty easy to handle, very user-friendly - except for program installations.

Let's divide this into three sections:
1) Upgrading your OS means some older app's will not work. That is pretty natural - and in some cases Linux is really good here, like when I installed an older version of glibc (that CivCTP required) "in parallell", used only by CivCTP.
This is not the problems I'm talking about.

2) Installing on home-computer, modem-only or no Internet connection:
This is the main problem, this is what has kept me from trying to convince my friends they should try Linux.

3) Apt/yum - yes, that's better. I believed my installation-woes would end once I had a decent connection, I am a bit disappointed.

The main problem has been at home, as I already stated. I gave up AbiWord about two years ago because it was almost impossible to install - always something more needed. Until one day I installed Slackware (8?), it had AbiWord. So I copied the AbiWord-directory over to my Mandrake, and it worked perfectly! Or take Scribus, sometimes last year: I tried desperately to install it since I really needed it, but no. Then I found one distro that had it: I installed it, removed it, then installed from source to /dev/hda8 = /usr/local on all distros. Every distro I had (with 2.4-kernel) now could run Scribus! Even though they all refused to install it, be it from source or rpm... Unfortunately very few programs can be installed this way - uncommercial programs, that is.
When it comes to commercial apps - just install them! I install my games and OpenOffice to /usr/local, then after installing a new distro and mounting /dev/hda8 I can play my games.
And yes, OO, thunderbird, games ..... very easy to install!
I could give you hundreds of examples, but lets get down to a conclusion:
The dependency-problems exist because only a small part of the program is supplied. It has nothing to do with architectures, stability or anything like that.
Once again:Any application that's "commercial" in any way just installs in Linux!
Commercial actors have to make sure people can use their programs - or they won't sell.
All these nice people writing programs they just give away, well, to them it doesn't matter if one person uses their program or one million people! That is the reason for all these dependencies.

Apt is pretty good, but it doesn't work as flawlessly as I had expected.
I have "reconsidered which repositories I use". Starting with sources.list as it came, removing the repos that didn't work like: updates & core in freshrpms, all in download.fedora.redhat.com and all in rpm.livna.org
Then I added a whole bunch, took out those that didn't work. I have 9 repos now, but still get dependency problems sometimes. Do I read you right, I shouldn't use so "many" repos? Then what could I install???
(And "so what" believe it or not, I need those programs!
xawtv I installed with rpm --nodeps because it needed libquicktime, which was installed with the distro. apt says it's not installed, can't be found. I can't uninstall because it's not installed, I can't install because it's installed... And xawtv does not work (well, I actually wanted streamer - and that one works!))
----------------------------------------------------------
My repos so far:
rpm http://ayo.freshrpms.net fedora/linux/3/i386 freshrpms #updates core
rpm http://ayo.freshrpms.net fedora/linux/3/i386 tupdates

### Dag RPM Repository for Fedora Core 3
rpm http://wftp.tu-chemnitz.de/pub/linux/dag fedora/3/en/i386 dag
#rpm http://ftp.heanet.ie/pub/freshrpms/pub/dag fedora/3/en/i386 dag
rpm http://apt.sw.be fedora/3/en/i386 dag

# ATrpms for Fedora Core 3
# Possible sections: at-stable, at-good, at-testing, at-bleeding
rpm http://apt.atrpms.net fedora/3/en/i386 at-stable
rpm http://apt.physik.fu-berlin.de fedora/3/en/i386 at-stable
#newrpms.sunsite.dk
rpm http://newrpms.sunsite.dk/apt/ redhat/en/i386/fc3 newrpms

# Name: Dries RPM Repository
# URL: http://dries.studentenweb.org/apt/
### Fedora Core
rpm http://apt.sw.be dries/fedora/fc3/i386 dries

# KDE
rpm ftp://apt.kde-redhat.org apt/fedora/3 stable
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
abiword, galeon, imagemagick (needed by transcode I think) can not be found.
just to take the worst, Galeon:Exactly! Put up a large enough repository and I'll happily pay for it!
Yes, definitely - when it works, when you have a fast Internet connection.
Apt is on it's way, but it still has a bit to go. And to install programs on my home-computers - well, I'll have to carry them to my office for any installation...

You didn't listen to me. Hence I try a different approach and quote every bit I refer to.

First the not so interesting pieces:

I disagree. You compare apples and oranges. A typical modern Linux distribution comes on multiple CDs or even a DVD. It includes a wide range of applications and tools. Hence its size. Usually even a full office suite like OpenOffice.org is included. Compare that with other OSes where the user is limited to what's preinstalled on a computer or what belongs to the base OS package. With only a modem or no Internet at all, the problem is the same, if not worse. Everywhere. The typical home user either downloads many additional tools or applications when they are free or purchases additional applications. Show me the home desktop user who doesn't download/purchase additional media viewers and tools.

Crap. Again, you ignore what I wrote earlier. Abiword is included in the base distribution for ages. It's included in Red Hat Linux 7.3, 8.0, 9, Fedora Core 1, 2, 3. Everything it needs is included in the base distribution. Same applies to ImageMagick.

What the heck are you trying to prove? You give more and more examples of home-made problems. It is irrelevant that you make things more complicated than they are. Scribus has been available in add-on repositories for a long time, e.g. the old http://fedora.us for Fedora Core and Red Hat Linux. Custom packages which install cleanly, in particular for users who are familiar with up2date, yum or apt. For Fedora Core 3, it's available in Fedora Extras.

No. All parts are supplied. Multiple applications share common parts, which is particularly useful for security relevant updates. If a common library is vulnerable, you don't need to update each and every application that uses it. You just update the library. And before someone says it, no, statically linking all libraries into a program is no silver bullet for all portability problems.

You are mistaken and misguided. The reason is a misconception of RPM and shared components (and dependencies) in Linux. In a nutshell, RPM makes run-time dependencies more explicit (by default that is, it can be disabled). You don't just extract an application archive and hope that it works. In an RPM package, specific requirements on ABI/API versions are listed.

Without a comment on a specific application and its actual system dependencies and requirement, it doesn't make sense to expand this topic.

The first part may be true for some projects. The second parts is not true. Generally, there is no point in duplicating work. Every tiny application could include private copies of all shared libraries it uses, in order to avoid dependencies on a base system. It doesn't make sense to spend time on that when you know that the target distribution includes the needed requirements.

Do you realise the mistake? This is the source of your problems. You must not disable the repositories for Fedora Core and Fedora Core Updates. The more than 1650 packages in those two base repositories are strictly required for most add-on packages. And again, Abiword and ImageMagick are included in Fedora Core as well.

Read my previous message more slowly.

You disabled the most important base repositories (Core and Updates) and tried to "fix" it by adding a selection of 3rd party repositories which are not compatible with eachother. Additionally, you not just added repositories for extra software, but also some which replace or upgrade packages from Fedora Core (e.g. kde-redhat and atrpms). The resulting mixture of repositories and the missing base repositories lead to no end of problems.

The point is: download a program for Windows, or buy a commercial program - it is easily installed.
Download a program for Linux - it won't install.
But you are right, a normal distro includes a wide range of applications and tools - so I have been able to use Linux.
I also have room for 5 distro's, so sometimes I install a distro just for one application...
Should I persuade people to try Linux, when I have to say "don't try to install anything that's not on the installation-discs"? If I do show them what program-installation is like, they would all be ROTFL! Maybe not quite fair, considering all the problems, reboots, reinstallations etc they get with Windows - but I'm afraid it's a fact, they will never try Linux again. Therefore I wait until they get a fast Internet-connection. Well, Abiword is just an example - but definitely not included in earlier distro's! It was somewhere around 2001 - 2002 I wanted it, it was not in SuSe, Mandrake and a bunch of other distro's I tried. The main point, however, is that the rpm's or source could not be installed - but I could copy Abiword from Slackware to Mandrake! I am talking about installation at home where I do not have a fast Internet connection! Repositories are irrelevant, I can't use them.?????
What do you mean??? They did install, just lilke that, no dependencies. All commercial app's I've tried simply installs. Meaning: all parts are not supplied with the program, therefore I can't download a program here at work, take it home and install - the target distribution does not include the needed requirements.
I disabled them because they could not be used. Error reading package-list, I think it was.

And again I repeat: 2) Installing on home-computer, modem-only or no Internet connection:
This is the main problem
With a 10Mb Internet-line the problem is not that big. Apt is not perfect, I still don't have everything I want - but when it works it's terrific!
But please, pay a little more attention to all those without a decent Internet connection!

Let me repeat myself: the commercial program also has dependencies on the base OS environment, and where necessary it may choose to replace core components (e.g. DLLs) and break installed applications. Has that never happened to you with "the other" OS before? Has it ever happened to you that setup.exe or install.exe opens a graphical dialog requesting that your installation is insufficient and you need to install/upgrade something else first (e.g. ActiveX, DCOM, other things)?
Sure it does. You refuse to understand the implications and concept behind explicit dependencies. And you ignore why an arbitrary application built on an arbitrary Linux distribution might not install on a different distribution.
That would be childish and no good recommendation. Show them how to install 3rd party software. Show them how to use rpm --aid for offline installs from CD or hard disk drive and install entire dependency chains in one go. Educate them, don't increase the FUD. Even Yum can install offline, btw.

Really? Many users just love graphical tools like Synaptic or kpackage. Even the graphical system-config-packages is very easy to use for installation from the CDs. Note that I'm not defending current command-line only tools like yum, since work on the "Pup" tool has started, and 3rd party graphical yum extensions are available, too.
Do you care? If they are happy with their system, why force them to try something different?
This ridiculous. What are you complaining about? That something wasn't included three years ago? Who cares? It's 2005. (Red Hat Linux 7.3 is from 2002 and included Abiword.) The Freshmeat.net directory has information about more than 30,000 programs. How many, do you think, are not available as precompiled Fedora Core compatible RPM packages? What do you think are projects like Fedora Extras or rpmforge trying to achieve?
You do have the CDs where those software packages can be found. AbiWord, ImageMagick, too. Without the CDs, you could not install Fedora Core at all. Offline users also don't need to worry about security updates. Such users would get additional CDs via the same distribution method as the base OS CDs and would not need to download huge applications from the Internet.