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Dependencies (was: Edgy update and wireless)

To: HumLUG List <linux@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: Dependencies (was: Edgy update and wireless)
From: Andrius Ilgunas <andrius@xxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Fri, 15 Dec 2006 17:44:18 -0800 (PST)


How does Ports solve the issue?  I used portage which is "based" on
ports.  But there must be some serious differences since portage is
similar to apt.

Cheers,
Patrick

Unfortunately, I don't think it would. Maybe I've misunderstood the thread, but it seems that you were trying to use a "non-sanctioned" application and it broke. If that's not what you meant, my appologies :) ...and please skip over the following rant.

That said, the problem that you're describing will happen on ANY OS. Installing 3rd party apps even on Windows doesn't guarantee that it'll work. If you don't believe me, I could write up a little program that works on any Windows system that is configured identically to mine :)

Yah, apt and portage are used ports as their model, and I don't know why they fail sometimes. If I were pressed to guess, I'd guess it's because the maintainers aren't fully testing or deciding on which compatibile softwares can be included into the trees. *shrug*


<div id="rant">

THAT is the crux of why I left Linux for the BSD world. Applications installed via the ports system just WORK. Dependencies are simply ESSENTIAL to having a system that, well, operates. The BSD guys took the approach of putting together a system with the concept of: "Your FBSD box is just like my FBSD box." And I like that. I know it reeks of BORING, but luckily, I'm a vanilla kind of guy :)

Linux distros, still seem to be putting together systems with the idea of: "Let's see how many cusomizations we can allow the user to have" Please don't get me wrong, that is a fun concept, and I indulge in it once in a while. (now, for the inevitable BUT...) But I want a computer that just works.

Let's take WPA for example. The trendy Ubuntu still doesn't do WPA natively. Granted, of the 9 or so wifi networks around my apartment, I'm the only one using WPA, I bounced through 4 distros before SUSE found my WPA during the installation process! Does FBSD supprt wifi natively? I don't know, I haven't tried. But my Windows installation sure did.

My point here is this: Linux distros, after all these years of progress still can't a system that doesn't require tweaking after an install. FBSD and Windows really do work "out of the box". And if I have to pay for something that works, I think that's fair.


Now, before anyone comes clamoring with their oh-so-cute spelling of "M$" and how Linux is sooo much better (I know that you'll need to), and how FBSD might seem to be limiting a user to use their "sanctioned" 2000+ softwares, I want to say to you that simply I wanted to share with the group my opinion and experiences as information for other Linux users.

I am WAAY to old, sick and tired to even try to start a religious war about which is better, and I'm not looking to debate. Please forgive me. I don't do this very often. :)


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Andrew Ilgunas +Technocrat
+Systems / Network Administrator - http://noc.ilgunas.net

When everything's coming your way, you're in the wrong lane.

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