On Tue, 15 Oct 2013 14:04:24 +0200 berenger.mo...@neutralite.org wrote: > > > Note that it can be asked at installation time, if you do not use the > default "question level". In expert mode, it will ask you if you want > to enable contrib and/or non-free. I think that behavior is strange: > people who use the expert mode are able to modify the sources.list > file, but obviously people who are doing their 1st debian install are > not, and they will not select the expert install. > >
A beginner to Debian is not likely to begin with a non-graphical installation, just as if I wanted to learn Red Hat to build a server, I wouldn't dive straight into a command-line installation. Synaptic has a repository dialogue box with tick-box options, and the ability to add repositories by name when you know enough to do so. Synaptic updates sources.list because it must, because it is part of the apt family and must not get into a state which is inconsistent with the other members. It has always been possible to switch freely between apt-get, aptitude and synaptic, and none of them will run while another is already running. They all lock and use the same package database, and the same repository list. One notable difference: the default synaptic upgrade is a dist-upgrade/full-upgrade, the command line defaults are both safe-upgrades. -- Joe -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to debian-user-requ...@lists.debian.org with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact listmas...@lists.debian.org Archive: http://lists.debian.org/20131015190417.4263a...@jretrading.com