Bill,
The installer does have an upgrade option. I have heard that there may be some
incompatibilities between RedHat and Mandrake, although Mandrake is advertised
as being compatible with the RedHat applications.
When I first switched from RedHat 5.2 to Mandrake 6.0 (Macmillan release), the
install guide provided in the Macmillan boxed set recomended against upgrading
from any RedHat Version to any Mandrake version, but instead to do the install
option. I did this, and had no problems. Indeed most, if not all my previous
configuration was preserved (I did not re-format the Linux root partition).
However, I later did dumb, and had to rebuild (my ignorance, not Linux's fault)
the system, at which time I did re-format the partition. One advantage in this
re-do, was that then I set up a second partition with PartitionMagic 4 for my
/home folder. Now, if I need to rebuild the system in my stumblings-about while
learning Linux, I at least will not have to re-download any software I have
added to my system, or any original files, since I keep these under my /home
folder.
I am not sure, but I think that the best way to do the change from RedHat to
Mandrake is to do the full clean install, which means saving anything you
cannot, or do not wish to replace on another partition (perhaps a DOS partition
?). I say this, because while all the dostributions use Linux Kernels, each
distribution is an individual entity, and as such, there is no assssurance that
they will work in exactly the same way. It's sort of like people, All people
are humans (at least here on Earth), but no two humans are exactly the same.
I do not know if I have answered your question or not, but I will say that your
choice of the Mandrake distribution in my opinion is a good one. I have been
happy with Mandrake, and will stay with it, even if I can not get it from my
local software store, and must find an alternative source.
Ernie
On Mon, 25 Oct 1999,Smith, Bill wrote:
| I don't understand how Linux and the various distributions handle upgrades.
| For example:
| I have RedHat 6.0 installed and I decided to flesh it out / upgrade it with
| Mandrake 6.5.
| I didn't see anything in the documentation regarding upgrades versus full
| installs so
| I started using gnorpm to successively upgrade / install different
| components.
|
| One of the frequent warnings was missing libraries. When I tried to install
| the requested
| versions of the libraries I was warned that newer versions were already
| loaded and
| did I wish to risk making the system unstable be loading the older version.
| When I
| tried running the applications with the newer versions they objected to not
| finding the
| older versions.
|
| So a few questions:
|
| - Is there a README, FAQ, book which I should be reading? My initial
| searches
| have be unproductive.
|
| - Does the Linux paradigm expect you to maintain old versions of each
| library? If
| so how do you upgrade programs to bug fixed versions of libraries? Could
| someone
| summarize the "Linux upgrade / update paradigm"? I have found it
| relatively easy to
| upgrade the kernel but adding new programs is being difficult due to
| library versioning
| problems.
|
| - Is there Mandrake "upgrade" option? I felt nervous about following the
| install
| directions, with the hope that an upgrade option might be presented.
|
| Bill Smith
| Intel ASC Santa Clara
| Phone: 408-765-4570 / Fax: 408-653-8511
| [EMAIL PROTECTED]
