Etch-to-Lenny upgrade?

pietruszewski · 05-08-2008, 05:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rickh

This article has been widely circulated over the last year or so.
http://pthree.org/2007/08/12/aptitude-vs-apt-get/

Thank you, that's exactly what I was wondering. So if I were to stick with aptitude /or/ the many derivatives of apt-get - as long as I stuck with either one specifically - then I would not have any problems?

rickh · 05-08-2008, 05:12 PM

True............

pietruszewski · 05-08-2008, 09:04 PM

So then it's just a matter of what you're used to typing.

indienick · 05-09-2008, 09:47 AM

I've only ever used aptitude to find a package that I didn't know the proper name for (and supplying I was limited to the command line).

A mix of apt-get and synaptic never steered me wrong; it always freaked me out how I would leave aptitude with nothing to download or install, and the next time I started it, it would have packages marked for upgrade in the queue.

makuyl · 05-09-2008, 09:49 AM

Yes.

Quote:

Originally Posted by rickh

I looked through the 2-3-4 year old list discussions that you recommended. It's an old argument. Although it became obvious to really knowledgeable people (the developers) early on that Aptitude was far superior to apt-get, regular users often had the typical reaction to "new things." The arguments continue to this very day on Debian specific forums, but the weight of evidence has gradually shifted to Aptitude. The best proof of that is that the apt-get developers themselves are working hard to get apt-get to behave like aptitude. The versions of apt-get in Lenny and Sid mimic aptitude's handling of "recommends" and "dependencies". If you don't like the default handling, it's easy to change.

You mean specific forums like this one? http://forums.debian.net/viewtopic.php?t=14036
Enlighten me please as I don't use aptitude. How is it with meta-packages today?
Hmm,... pointless.

rickh · 05-09-2008, 03:17 PM

It handles metapackages the same way it did back then, and the same way newer versions of apt-get are handling them ... that is to say, the right way. When Lenny goes Stable in a few months, there will be another big hue and cry from people who don't understand it, but it won't change anything. At that point Stable Debian users of apt-get will be brought kicking and screaming into the real world. Aptitude will still be superior to apt-get, and apt-get will still be trying to improve on its ability to do things the Aptitude way.

makuyl · 05-09-2008, 03:59 PM

If that's really the future, I feel sorry for the proverbial noob doing apt??? install kde. Why on earth would the devs repeat the mistake in aptitude with apt?
We will not agree on "more commands" = "superior", but OTOH I still do "dselect update"

Fair is fair though. If you insist on telling people to use aptitude, warn them about not installing a single meta-package unless they want to recycle everything removing something.