aaa_elflibs and Slackware-Current

rg3 · 08-16-2009, 03:59 AM

I removed the package years ago from my -current system and it's been working fine. If you detect a missing library you only need to install the corresponding package.

gargamel · 08-16-2009, 04:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GazL

[...]

Psychologically, "Don't press this button because _____" will tend to work much better than "Don't press this button".

[...]

But children don't hear "NOT". If you tell them not to jump into the mud, they will predictably do just that!

Therefore I vote for something like "Keep aaa_elflibs always and forever unchanged! Avoid upgrading it!"

gargamel

GazL · 08-16-2009, 04:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gargamel

But children don't hear "NOT". If you tell them not to jump into the mud, they will predictably do just that!

Therefore I vote for something like "Keep aaa_elflibs always and forever unchanged! Avoid upgrading it!"

gargamel

Except ofcourse, that still doesn't explain "why", which is the whole point of comments in code: to explain why you did something that's not obvious without the comment.

"Don't upgrade aaa_elflibs" isn't a useful comment as it adds no new information. We can see its blacklisted as it has an entry in the file in the first place.

"Can't upgrade aaa_elflibs" is more useful as it adds the information that aaa_elflibs can't be upgraded, but it's ambiguous. Can't be upgraded automatically? What about manually? Shouldn't be updated at all? Why?

"Upgrading aaa_elflibs may downgrade system libraries and cause problems.", is the key information that should be included in the comment. Exact wording doesn't really matter as long as that information is conveyed to the reader.

gargamel · 08-16-2009, 06:21 AM

I agree. Without such an explanation of the why, one might get to think that as a result of upgrading aaa_elflibs
a miracle occurs.

gargamel

dwr1 · 08-16-2009, 06:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rworkman

WHAT?

I mean, what else do you want? How about this:

Code:

--- blacklist.orig	2009-08-15 17:02:05.732282572 -0500
+++ blacklist	2009-08-15 17:02:53.292166938 -0500
@@ -20,7 +20,8 @@
 
 #
 # aaa_elflibs can't be updated.
-#
+# "can't" is a contraction meaning "cannot"
+# We don't know how to make it any clearer.
 aaa_elflibs
 
 #

What GazL said. That message has always been there, but it never sated any potential curiosity.

dwr1 · 08-16-2009, 06:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gargamel

Just to learn a little more: What kind of problems did you encounter after upgrading aaa_elflibs?

gargamel

I think it was a slackpkg error, something about gpg, and other errors. It was too long ago for me to remember exactly. I suspect aaa_elflibs was the problem as it went away after I grabebd various libraries from my local mirror and installed them via pkgtool.

rworkman · 08-16-2009, 10:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dwr1

What GazL said. That message has always been there, but it never sated any potential curiosity.

Okay, how about this then:

Code:

liberty $ head -n16 aaa_elflibs-12.34-x86_64-2
PACKAGE NAME:     aaa_elflibs-12.34-x86_64-2
COMPRESSED PACKAGE SIZE:     3176K
UNCOMPRESSED PACKAGE SIZE:     11040K
PACKAGE LOCATION: /var/log/mount/a/aaa_elflibs-12.34-x86_64-2.txz
PACKAGE DESCRIPTION:
aaa_elflibs: aaa_elflibs (shared libraries needed by many programs)
aaa_elflibs:
aaa_elflibs: This is a collection of shared libraries needed to run Linux programs.
aaa_elflibs: ELF (Executable and Linking Format) is the standard Linux binary 
aaa_elflibs: format.  These libraries are gathered from other Slackware packages
aaa_elflibs: and are intended to give a fairly complete initial set of libraries.
aaa_elflibs: This package should be not upgraded or reinstalled (it could copy
aaa_elflibs: over newer library versions).
aaa_elflibs:
aaa_elflibs:
aaa_elflibs:

Reading the package description should cover it.

dwr1 · 08-16-2009, 01:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rworkman

Okay, how about this then:

Code:

liberty $ head -n16 aaa_elflibs-12.34-x86_64-2
PACKAGE NAME:     aaa_elflibs-12.34-x86_64-2
COMPRESSED PACKAGE SIZE:     3176K
UNCOMPRESSED PACKAGE SIZE:     11040K
PACKAGE LOCATION: /var/log/mount/a/aaa_elflibs-12.34-x86_64-2.txz
PACKAGE DESCRIPTION:
aaa_elflibs: aaa_elflibs (shared libraries needed by many programs)
aaa_elflibs:
aaa_elflibs: This is a collection of shared libraries needed to run Linux programs.
aaa_elflibs: ELF (Executable and Linking Format) is the standard Linux binary 
aaa_elflibs: format.  These libraries are gathered from other Slackware packages
aaa_elflibs: and are intended to give a fairly complete initial set of libraries.
aaa_elflibs: This package should be not upgraded or reinstalled (it could copy
aaa_elflibs: over newer library versions).
aaa_elflibs:
aaa_elflibs:
aaa_elflibs:

Reading the package description should cover it.

Redundancy in slackpkg blocklist file may help slackpkg users find the answer quicker, but fair enough.

ponce · 01-25-2010, 12:01 AM

maybe this thread needs an up

rworkman · 01-25-2010, 12:28 AM

But that message doesn't apply in the -current tree. :-)

This is one of those situations in which you are, as evidenced by the fact that you're following -current, expected to understand that the warning doesn't apply here.

Upgrade aaa_elflibs first in this batch of updates, and you'll be fine.

ponce · 01-25-2010, 12:55 AM

yeah, sorry if I was ambiguos: I meant to throw a little light on why slackpkg doesn't update it automatically and without opening a new thread to say it's safe to update the package *today* with the rest I found this one in which I read your first reply.

I upgraded it just after today's slackpkg's run with upgradepkg

P.S. OT:

Code:

testing/packages/btrfs-progs-20100120-x86_64-1.txz: Added.

tnx for userspace tools

gargamel · 01-26-2010, 10:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rworkman

But that message doesn't apply in the -current tree. :-)

This is one of those situations in which you are, as evidenced by the fact that you're following -current, expected to understand that the warning doesn't apply here.
[...]

Yes, thanks, of course, and I generally agree, and usually I stick to -stable releases. Slackware 13.0 is an exception, though, and probably not only for me, because -current eliminates several little snags, mostly in KDE 4.2.4. The KDE version that comes with -current has quite a few improvements.

I guess, that many Slackers, who usually stick to -stable, pick -current these days, because of similar reasons. Some of them, like me (or should I really be the only one?) usually don't mess with -current, and may therefore have not the expertise you assume for users of -current.

But as I said, I generally totally agree with you, but I just think that 13.0 is a special case.

As soon as 13.1 is released I'll stick to -current, again, I think. Because all my issues are solved since KDE 4.3.4.

gargamel