so which is better the testing version of debian or unstable sid version , I am thinking of puting sid or unstable on my pc , because I what to use the newest version of kde , also is testing kde a beta or stable version?

I guess that kde from either sid or unstable is in beta right or is it the newer then beta state?

How much does the unstable version become unstable to use, I what to use one for gaming not use to have the newest linux


I tryed the aptitute program it ok, I was wondering does unstable put a windows type interface in for programs like aptitude and the base shell bash , I remember when ms-dos 6.0 or whatever version it was use to a program called dosshell which I even used once on a older 386 pc that run only dos I got it from one of my granmothers, The old pc had two big floppy drives remember thoughts , the card was hercules green screen type I kind of miss that green on black background look, anyway on the hercules type card that pc had dosshell even run on that with windows type feel or look , but no mouse with that pc , as I can remember it was keyboard only system, and my first pc, before I got a 486 with the first windows on it , I use to use dosshell for dos mode access sometimes to view the directorys, my the way if you were wondering I was born semtember of 1980 so I am not as old as my first pc , that pc with the hercules card was older then me , it had no hard drives no cd-rom drives and only booted msdos with thoses big floppys it had a A drive and b Drive only untill a got one with a hard drive before I used the 486 I think, right now those old pc our sitting outside , of my home, anyway I have a Intel Pentium 4 3GHz with windows xp pro on one drive about 80gbz in size and other 20gb size drive with debian linux on it, so that updates thens to currents time... its fun to remember back to when dos was a green screen text with black background... it was easy on the eyes then the white dos now has , anyway is their a way to customize the text color in the linux console?, and is their a shell like dosshell but for debian linux , like a dosshell clone?

also is other recommended sources.list for getting programs I once that debian lacks some game emulaters like snes,gba,and ps1 , and games that other linux versions have like gentoo have in them, if I have to I can use the make ./configure etc.. commands to install them but I whated to make it easy and just install them with debian but the normal sources.list stuff does not seem to have them I tried aptitude to look for them but no luck finding them or any type of clone shells that may make the console look like another type console like the good old dos prompt shell type bash thing would be cool, or even a dosshell clone for bash type access, also does anyone else remember eightinone, which had a word processor , speed sheet, and other things like a Calculator which run from dos.

I fixed the time or at least I think I fix it for US pacific time, anway what I mean more about my topic is as a gamer 2D & 3D user , which linux would you use testing or unstable , I what the newest but I don't what games ,etc.. xfree to crash on me, how unstable is sid or unstable really , is it useable yet so day to day access? I hear somewhere that its stable even thou they call it unstable , so which is it better for me to stick with testing or update it to unstable(sid)? which would you chose to do if you had to download all the files with a modem? using aptitude or else?

I what to use the newest xfree86 system core 4:30 is really old already I was wondering why testing is still using it I think the newest is stable but I am not sure , what about in sid is kde and gnome stable , also what up with the version number for gnome 50 what that , I don't think it the newest stable version is it, isn't their a gnome 2 now? or some new gnome coming out right? I use kde most of the time but I do use the other shell for it too at times.

To find sources.list entries for software (games etc.) that is not in the official repositories, you can try making a search in

http://www.apt-get.org/

If you decide to use Unstable, I hope you are willing to file bug reports:

http://www.debian.org/Bugs/

I can assure you that bugs get fixed in Debian, but sometimes you may have to wait some time for the fixed packages to appear. Therefore, it would be wise to install a light-weight window manager (such as Fluxbox) so that you have a temporary GUI under X if KDE in Unstable gets broken. In Testing things don't get broken as often as in Unstable but the software is older.

As always, it's YOUR OWN CHOICE.

So what is your question? I have just read through your rambling posts and cannot make head nor tail of it.

As far as I can tell, your questions are:
1. What is better - testing or unstable and why (and will they give you any problems with games), also you have a dial up connection and so downloading huge numbers of files will be a problem.
2. Does Aptitude have a GUI?
3. Can you customise the text colour in a terminal?
4. Is there a dos emulator for Linux?
5. Why is Debian using XFree86?
6. What is the latest version of Gnome?

Your answers are: Search LQ and Google for the answers - all except question 5 are asked about a lot and you would have saved yourself a lot of bother if you'd searched first. As far as question 5 goes, what does the Debian website have to say about it?

Maximalred - your threads are becoming longer and longer and your questions are being hidden in reminiscences which do not relate to either your questions or the forum you are posting in. In future, before posting, please plan your questions better.

ok , numbers 1 2 3 6 where questions I was asking

4 5 where not questions I was asking

1. What is better - testing or unstable and why (and will they give you any problems with games), also you have a dial up connection and so downloading huge numbers of files will be a problem.



2. Does Aptitude have a GUI?
I was not just asking about a GUI for aptitude , have you ever used dosshell you know that it did not have a gui , that requires something like xfree86 software , dosshell had a nicer look then normal text but I don't think it had a gui interface. also I was asking about a nicer look for the text type programs aptitude almost looks like edit from dos but it does not even come but anyway , I whated I guess a look for the text mode that was more like a gui but not requiring a gui that requires xfree86 program ,

3. Can you customise the text colour in a terminal?
can it and how to go about it? is their a program in linux that makes this easy? if so whats it called?


4. Is there a dos emulator for Linux?
This was not my question for 4 , I was asking about a clone mode that made linux more like the dos prompt not a emulator , but a dos clone for the linux shell , its a big differece between dos emulator , and something that makes the bash prompt look and feel more like the dos prompt but or a shell that looks like dosshell but for linux, but dosshell ever was a big gui system it was small in size and could fit into a big floppy not the normal ones they have now days but the big ones that came with the hercules type monitors green screen with black text , also I think it fix onto those big floppy not sure I may of had it on the small size hard drive that I later got for that 386 pc.

number 5 I never was really asking why linux used xfree86 , but on that subject is their other type projects like xfree86?

number 6 , I just go to their website at www.gnome.org and find out the version information , I guess this was a uneeded question but in aptitude is shows gnome as 50 which I think is a miss print , 50 is not a version number but I don't really know what it means

So what is your question? I have just read through your rambling posts and cannot make head nor tail of it.

i guess I problemy not post that late at night , when getting tired , the time as around 3:45am what I post , I have had a problem of late staying up too late at night on my computer , it just seem lately that I have been getting to bed later and later, its sometimes hard to get myself off my pc, I am young and I guess at times my posts arn't that good as rambling posts go I ain't a that good at english subjects in school all the time, I have gone as far as english 905 in college so far,

for someone that could not make head nor tail of it , you seem to get most of my post questions right.?or at least you were close to my question not that right not close never the less

personally from my viewpoint...i think you need to read and learn more about linux before you get involved with it....your questions are rephrased from previous numerous posts that are redundant and confusing.......ir you cannot clearly state your questions, how will you be able to understand the anwers.......get the book Linux for Dummies ...or Redhat for Dummies and work with more simple distros than debian.....i ran linux for almost ten years before i attempt debian....redhat or fedora are good starting points for a newbie....

1. Testing is considered stable by many in the Debian community. I don't know about games or game emulators.

2. Synaptic

3. Yes. I guess you're talking about a console terminal and not a Xterm.
For an xterm
4. To make your prompt look more like dos put the following in a file in your home directory named .bashrc (notice the dot in front). If the file is not there create it

This will make a prompt with your username, current working directory and a dos like >

5. Because of its license. Since that license has changed most distros are going to the x.org version.

I think that XavierP got question 4. wrong. maximalred is asking if there is in Debian something similar to the "dosshell" program in the old MSDOS. With "dosshell" one could do simple file management tasks inside an ncurses-like GUI. I think Midnight Commander is the closest equivalent to "dosshell" in Debian -- only Midnight Commander is thousand times better.

well....i only have one thing to state.......if you want to look like dos ...then why not just run dos.....
you will never learn Unix/Linux that way....just dive in and learn from mistakes....no hand holding hear....