Mepis Linux problem
 

This is odd.. I'm pretty new to linux (6 or 7 months) and I've used a vast array of distrobutions, and MEPIS has been the BEST. It is very fast, install is easy, and I like the option of apt-get. Anyways, good job Mepis. (so if anyone is interested in trying it, It's worth a shot, 20min install/configure time)

Now, on to the question. When ever I am typing, no matter what window, or application, it is selecting icons on the desktop. Say, for instance, I type the letter, M, I get the mepis system center selected. Hit enter, and it will open it. So, if I type,

I am eating an m&m

It will open it up. Whats with this?

One other quick question, Is there anyway to get a list of available packages for apt-get? I was trying to update gtk+ to 2.0, and when I put gtk, or gtk+, it doesn't find anything. If I type, apt-get upgrade gtk, it gives a WHOLE list, and so I decided to install them all. If it messes anything up, can I go back?

By the way, Mepis is debian based if this helps at all.

Thanks for the help!

I think you've the hotkeys activated, so open a console and write khotkeys
For apt, I don't understand why you've done apt-get upgrade gtk :confused: In theory, you must do an apt-get update (to update the package sourcelist) after if you want to do a big update, you do apt-get upgrade (update all of your softwares) but if you want install or update only one package, you write: apt-get install gtk

And of course, wouldn't it be "easier" (in a visual sense) to use KPackage (which I know is included in Mepis, and from past experience is correctly configured to show the apt-get list), or install Synaptic, which I found generally easier to use than KPackage?

Got nothing against apt-getting from the command-line, but if you want to get an overview of what packages are available, a GUI frontend like KPackge or Synaptic is somewhat better for that specific purpose, since apt-get kinda requires you to know beforehand what you want to install.

Alternatively, you could always surf to the Debian online package list and look at that, if you want to know what packages are available.

As to the gentleman's question, IS there a way to retrograde an apt-get upgrade; i.e. revert back to a previous version of a package? I'm working with Mepis, and i think i upgraded my install to death! Samba doesn't work anymore, at least through the s4k frontend.

--The Podfish

Yes, there is! For instance, if you have a package from sid installed, you can downgrade to testing using
or, you can designate the version you wish to install within the command... apt-get install packagename_2_20...or something to that effect. man apt-get for more info

There is a useful companion command to apt-get, called apt-cache. For example, check out 'apt-cache search somestring' and 'apt-cache policy pkgname'... where 'somestring' is some word that may appear either in package name or its description, and 'pkgname' is the correct name of the package, but without a version; this one will tell you what (if any) version is installed on your system, and what other versions might be available according to apt's database.