I'm using Suse 9.3 and eventually may want to upgrade to a later version. How would this typically affect my currently installed programs vis-a-vis library versions and kernel. Is there considerable tweaking required to get all the new versions playing together?

9.3 is working fine and I'm inclined toward the "if ain't broke don't fix it" philosophy unless the whiz-bang factor overwhelms me.

Thanx for any inputs.

Hi whmitty,
Did you get an answer to your upgrade question? I plan to upgrade my RH Fedora core 5 to core 6 and I'm not sure how to do it of what to expect. Do I scrub core 5 and install 6 or is there an easy way to upgrade without loosing everything I've got so far? I'll be taking the Intro to Unix and Linux class next quarter at school. I hope that a lot of my questions will be answered there. MT

My post has only been here one day so maybe some more experienced Linux Heads will soon view and provide some insight. I now mainly use Linux as a local web site testing server. Very convenient when you don't want to flummox your web site with tests.

I still consider myself a relative Linux novice although I loaded my first Torvalds Linux back in the early to mid '90s. It was murderous getting devices to work but they eventually did after considerable rummaging on bulletin boards and finally the Internet.

I've since used Redhat, Mandrake, back to Redhat and finally Suse in that order. Given Redhat's ubiquity in the IT world I figured that was the best bet. The problem was that the configuration and maintenance processes were more awkward with RedHat than with Mandrake and Suse releases of the same generation. Being easier to wield and more widely accepted than Mandrake I settled on Suse, for the time being.

Hopefully someone will see our posts and shed some light on the ramifications of the update/upgrade process in general. I'd also like some info on circumventing the Suse requirement to perform incremental updates in real-time while on-line. I understand RedHat still provides downloads of images for that purpose.

Hi whmitty,
you mentioned that you,"mainly use Linux as a local web site testing server". I am very interested in introducing a server into the MS work group computers at the community computer center (NNC) where I work. I'm planning to install the new RH Fedora as a server for file sharing and storage. This is a bold step for me because I don't know much about Apache or SMB to make file and printer sharing work. I have Fedora 5 installed as typical work station on an old computer at home, where I'm learning how to network with the work group in my own LAN. I would like to eventually set up a web server for the Neighborhood Network Center location where I work. Next quarter at school I'll be taking the intro to UNIX and Linux class, so I'll probably be posting a lot of questions then. Journey on! MT

Hi mmtonge,

You will find that there is a generous and eager community ready to provide help in your Linux/Unix efforts.

I live in a rural environment where I currently connect to the Internet using a phone line with at best a 28.8KBPS connection and more typically 26.4KBPS so I had to optimize my connection time. Given those specs I decided to set up a locally networked server for Web development. It's an old Dell XPS 800r I bought back in early 2000. It runs at 800MHZ but that is more than adequate for the Suse 9.3 system with no other connections but mine.

In 1992 when I first told my programming colleagues about Linux they scoffed in unison and for protracted periods of time I might add. Then in 1994 I told them I had a subscription to the new Linux Journal which looked like a cheap flyer one gets in the mail. Now the guffaws transformed into looks of concern that one would expect when wearing aluminum foil hats to prevent alien mind melds. Keep in mind these guys were mostly experienced mini and mainframe programmers. One was a budding Windows programmer and anything resembling Linux was abhorrent to him not to mention moderately humorous. Some knew me when I first bought a machine in 1979 running CPM (Control Program for Microprocessors created by Gary Kildall from Digital Research) costing a whopping $6K for two 8" floppy discs and 32KB of memory. Had to get an additional 32KB of memory to run Microsoft FORTRAN (no surprise there, huh?) which set me back an additional $250. Remember, 1979 dollars here. No wonder they all thought I was nutso.

Whoops, I digress...my alzheimers is showing...

Press on with your formal training in Linux. I don't recommend doing as I did by first installing the system and then trying to figure out why things don't fly while trolling the Internet for all the solutions. Establish your knowledge base then go to launch.

Good Luck!

Novell page on updating your system with Yast
Novell page on how to upgrade your system with Yast

Hope these are of help to you.