[ale] just installed LibreOffice in Linux, should have been easier

[Jim Kinney]

gee. i thought that apt-get process was supposed to make all the nasty
dependency process just go away... My horrible to use, uber-hard
fedora with it's totally broken rpm dependency-hell nightmare requires
me to type "yum install foo" and wait for it to finish.

</snark>  :-)

adding packages for any distro is a pain especially if what is wanted
is either from a different release or a third party. I feel your pain!
I need to install a version of stuff that is not quite yet released
for the base distro version I need it to run on. So I have to do all
the dependency hell mess mess during compilation myself.

There's "bleeding edge" and then there's "in the heart of the cut"
which is where I seem to be working :-)

One of the things that has struck me as missing in the package manage
process is not what version of libfoo was used but really what
version(s) of libfoo will work based on the library calls. Often a
process needs to call libfoo with params (a, b, c) and return (X, Y)
which actually does exist in libfoo from version 0.79 up through 1.23.
But the package writer built it using version 1.18 and thus the
dependency is version 1.18 or higher.

So the missing puzzle piece is a tool that analyzes all calls and
returns in the source and compares those to a database of calls and
returns for libs and reports ranges of libs that will work. Sort of
like an opensource lib fact checker.


On Sun, Mar 13, 2011 at 11:33 AM, Paul Cartwright <ale at pcartwright.com> wrote:
> On 3/13/2011 9:35 AM, JD wrote:
>> Here's a challenge to all those who are still pointing and clicking.
>> For every administrative task this week, try to do it from the shell
>> instead. Ask for help if you need it, but please read the man page
>> **first** - some of the man pages do really suck. Learning how to read
>> a man page takes time and practice, then it becomes very clear.
>> `apropos` is your friend too.
> my issue with installing software from the command-line is mostly trying
> to install X, when it is meant for Squeeze & I only have Lenny.. the
> requirements make it impossible to install. Or you get X & the
> ./configure says you need Y installed first. trying to install Y it says
> you need A1 installed.... 2 hours later, installing STUFF, I forget what
> it was I originally wanted to install!
>
> --
> Paul Cartwright
>
> _______________________________________________
> Ale mailing list
> Ale at ale.org
> http://mail.ale.org/mailman/listinfo/ale
> See JOBS, ANNOUNCE and SCHOOLS lists at
> http://mail.ale.org/mailman/listinfo
>



-- 
--
James P. Kinney III
I would rather stumble along in freedom than walk effortlessly in chains.