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Path: euryale.cc.adfa.oz.au!newshost.carno.net.au!harbinger.cc.monash.edu.au!munnari.OZ.AU!news.ecn.uoknor.edu!news.ysu.edu!news.radio.cz!newsbreeder.radio.cz!news.radio.cz!CESspool!news.apfel.de!news.maxwell.syr.edu!cpk-news-hub1.bbnplanet.com!news.bbnplanet.com!worldnet.att.net!howland.erols.net!agate!cocoa.brown.edu!news From: otto@gauss.math.brown.edu (Ottavio G. Rizzo) Newsgroups: alt.os.linux.caldera,alt.os.linux.slackware,comp.os.linux.advocacy,comp.os.linux.misc,comp.unix.bsd.freebsd.misc Subject: Re: PC Unix implementations Date: 24 Feb 1997 11:21:16 -0500 Organization: Brown University Mathematics Department Lines: 42 Message-ID: <sfzpwuyy2r.fsf@gauss.math.brown.edu> References: <01bc21c2$8f14ac40$4258ec8a@host.domain> <331129AF.1648@aics.net> NNTP-Posting-Host: gauss.math.brown.edu X-Newsreader: Gnus v5.3/Emacs 19.34 Xref: euryale.cc.adfa.oz.au alt.os.linux.caldera:1354 comp.os.linux.advocacy:85604 comp.os.linux.misc:160814 comp.unix.bsd.freebsd.misc:36041 "Thomas F. Sandholm" <sandholm@aics.net> writes: > I've been a STRONG advocate of the Slackware release for the last > couple of years. I'll agree that the RedHat release is perhaps one > of the easiest, turn-key, (bullit-proof?) releases around, but I've > run into numerous problems with Redhat when it comes to development, > and porting of applications. There doesn't seem to be as much support > for the hacker-types, who like to dl latest-and-greatest and compile > it up on their systems. Realize that the Redhat release was created > to simplify the installation/administration of Linux. That's okay if > your a novice to Unix. But I for one would prefer to wrestle with the > beast, and edit system files by hand. At least this way I can be sure > of whats been added/modified/deleted, versus relying on some GUI to do > the job for me. "rpm -qpl package.rpm" gives you list of every file that would be installed. When you upgrade a package, the configuration files don't even get removed, but backed-up! In no way RH forbids you to "wrestle with the beast". Besides, if you install evey new program as a package (packaged by yourself, and then released for everyone else benefit), you are simply forced to write down in the spec file all the steps you did, which is something you should always do (at least on a piece of paper). Granted, it sounds like much more work: > If you plan on implementing latest & greatest > applications, you're probably going to have to compile them up, and > the Redhat can give you some difficulty. OTAH, by personal experience, if you have to install the program twice you go even. From three times on you save so much time by having written your own package! Ciao, Ottavio -- Ottavio G. Rizzo diceno `e nuje ca nun c'e' maje Dep. of Maths, box 1917 piaciuto `e fatica' \\ pecche' `o Brown University, Providence RI USA tiempo e' vita e vulimmo campa' Phone +401 863 7957 Fax: +401 863 9013 Almamegretta otto@math.brown.edu