1. Which is better in your opinion?

2. If you say Smart, then I need some help. I installed it via urpmi and it won't sync. It always stops at 99% and then locks up. This happens after several uninstalls and reinstalls. I guess there must be a file somewhere that gets left behind when uninstalled that is then picked up and read by the new installation allowing the same problem to perpetuate.
- Any ideas on how to fix this?

3. Should a user use just one of the two package managers and forget about the other one? I want to use the better one. Right now, again, I can't get Smart to work right, but I want it if it is better...

Thanks,

B.

I use smart and urpmi. They both have their pros and cons. What do you mean when you say smart won't sync? Are you using the default source list that comes with smart or do you set up your own source list?

1. I went to one of the repository sites, smarturpmi, I think, selected Smart and added repositories. Worked horribly.

Here is the error message that I get when I open Smart now. For the longest time it just said that it failed to sync. Now I get this instead:


Traceback (most recent call last):

File "/usr/bin/smart", line 194, in <module>
main(sys.argv[1:])

File "/usr/bin/smart", line 167, in main
exitcode = iface.run(opts.command, opts.argv)

File "/usr/lib/python2.5/site-packages/smart/interfaces/gtk/interactive.py", line 373, in run
self._ctrl.reloadChannels()

File "/usr/lib/python2.5/site-packages/smart/control.py", line 376, in reloadChannels
self._cache.load()

File "/usr/lib/python2.5/site-packages/smart/backends/rpm/header.py", line 479, in loadFileProvides
def loadFileProvides(self, fndict):

File "/usr/lib/python2.5/site-packages/smart/backends/rpm/header.py", line 480, in loadFileProvides
file = open(self._filename)

IOError: [Errno 2] No such file or directory: '/var/lib/smart/channels/contrib - jussieu.fr%%ftp:__distrib-coffee.ipsl.jussieu.fr_pub_linux_MandrivaLinux_official_2007.1_i586_media_contrib_release_media_info _hdlist'

**************

please explain why you use both and how you use both and with which repositories in each. There is an extra repository that I recognize from my PCLinuxOS forums by a person or group called "Thac". They highly suggested dumping urpmi. I tried but never got Smart to work at all.

I use smart because it is better at resolving dependencies and you have more control over what gets updated right down to which versions of a file to keep. With smart I can use the 'cooker' repositories and not worry about if I can remove a program or files that upset my system.

Urpmi is not that bad, it used to be a bit of a pain but it's a lot better now. I just use that for the regular repositories and security updates.

There are a few custom repositories like Thac's, Plf <--(this one is a must have) etc. Thac's tends to offer bleeding edge packages not yet available via the regular repositories, using these can in some cases break your system.

You'll always find those who say 'drop urpmi' and those who 'support the use of urpmi'. In the final analysis you're the only one that can decided whether you like using it or not. Both Urpmi and Smart have systray-applets that when ran will constantly check for and alert you to available updates.

I've found that when you install smart it already has a list of repositories, in there is the 'cooker' repository, I advise you disable that for now. The errors you are experiencing can be resolved by removing the current list (type as root: smart --remove-all)and re-doing them.

I also recommend you use the script to automate the adding of your chosen repositories (answer 'yes' to removing the current repository list).

I hope this goes some way to answering some of your queries.

I use both smart and urpmi, and I find them quite compatable.

smart only locks the rpm database while actually working, not while selecting.

and although most of the repos I have are in both urpm and smart, some are different, to help get around

file not available messages.

I think the errors you' re getting may be solved before your next install of smart.

Delete all files relating to smart after the removal with urpmi or drakrpm.

look in (oops sorry, not/usr/libs) /var/lib and delete or rename (like smart.old) the smart folder that will stop the error after the re-install of smart.

Glenn
(edit, very sorry about the error, hope this correction helps)