Hi, very new to Linux but learning a lot. Almost to the stage where I can get around reasonably well. I use Mandrake 9.1 and would like to update all my programs to the latest versions. i.e, Mozilla, Gaim, Gabber etc etc.

Also, I noticed that a lot of the programs and libraries these programs need weren't installed on the original distribution such as Glib and it's three other counterparts. Is there any easy way to install these? I downloaded the latest Glib and installed it, however it was still usng the older version.

1. Do I have to uninstall any older versions first?

2. Will Mandrake know that I more recent version exists after installation?

3. Is there a command line to update software automatically?

I don't want my Hard Drive filled with unnecessary files that I don't need anymore and it seems that I'm heading this way. I'm trying not to have to use Windows anymoe but I had the perfect system happening there. Just a matter of downloading a patch and updating everything nicely.

Can anyone help me with a step by step way of efficiently updating and keeping files tidy.

Cheers

Yes, there is an easy way to update, install and uninstall programs under Mandrake.

It's called Urpmi, it's considered one of the best and easiest package management utlilities for Linux (second only to Debian's APT), and you can access it from the Mandrake Control Center=>Software Management. From here, you can install programs from the huge Mandrake repositories (meaning that you need not trawl the Internet for Mandrake-specific RPMs) and uninstall previously installed programs that you don't want. You can also use RPM from the command line for individual programs, but this can be an annoying procedure, if the program has dependencies (which are automatically downloaded and installed by Urpmi, but have to be installed by hand from the command line).

Your problem is that the Software Sources Manager doesn't know where to find any of the installable programs except for on the CDs you installed from, but that is easily fixed.

Go to Easy URPMI and follow the instructions to add remote (Internet) sources to your sources list. Then you can fire up the Install Software tool. Change the filter from the default "Mandrake Choices" to "All programs by ...." (you can choose whatever sorting mechanism you like, alphabetical, program type grouping, source repository). Then click on whatever programs you like and start installing.

You will get some messages when the actual installs begin, telling you that there is no GPG security key found and asking you if you want to install anyway; ignore them and choose "yes to all". The problem is not with the programs, but with the fact that you don't have the public keys that the programs were signed with on your keyring. This can be fixed later, if you want.

As for Mozilla, even with your sources updated, you may only find a version older than the one you want. You may also want Firebird or Thunderbird. These specific programs can be "installed" from their mozilla.org download pages, because they are usually not installed so much as extracted and run from the locations to which they were extracted. Be aware that there seems to be a conflict between Firebird/Thunderbird and Mozilla in that if Firebird/Thunderbird are installed, Mozilla won't run (either if one of the other programs is already running, or at all-- I can't tell, but I've had this problem under 4 separate distributions, so it's real). Otherwise using them is not a big deal, except for needing to create your own launchers.