The whole "needs specific library" issue is often a problem with badly-written specfiles, and it's not RPM-specific - DEB had some similar issues at one point, too. Then again, you could potentially have the same problem with "config", too. In fact, I've even had that problem. Simple fact is, sometimes you _do_ need specific library versions (be it >=.64 or whatever). Just ignoring that is not the way to go. You also need to remember that compiling an RPM for "your distro" is just a hop, skip, and "rpmbuild --rebuild" away.
yum is actually pretty awesome at this point. It is very fast (even compared to apt-get, believe it or not), and has a brilliant localinstall feature. I've had no urge to go back to apt-rpm, and that's something reasonably new for me. RPM is no better or worse than DEB, or any even ebuilds. There's no reason you couldn't write an RPM-based distro that would download SRPMs, recompile them, and install them. The color thing has to do with terminal types, IIRC - easier to write a VT100 terminal than an ANSI. Putting color in also requires you to memorize annoying ANSI keywords. I wrote on MUDs for ten years - I have _much_ experience with it. -DMZ On Wed, 2005-10-19 at 23:41 -0400, Mathias Stearn wrote: > True, but last time I checked rpm are still very strict about which > version of a library you are using. If you want to use an rpm it must > have been built in an identical environment to yours. With gentoo I > can use most any .ebuild on the web with my box(amd64 none the less). > After dealing with fink (which uses binary and source .deb's) on my > ibook and ubuntu's use of apt-get, I am convinced that portage is the > most advanced package manager. I haven't tried yum, but i doubt it is > much better. I like how my gentoo box is always up-to-date with the > latest upstream packages as opposed to being version locked till the > next time my distro decides to do a release. > > <RANT> > Why don't more console apps use color?!? It makes deciphering the > output much easier. Its not like most people are still using black and > white dumb-terminals. emerge seems to be the only one to take > advantage of color by default. > </RANT> > > Ok, time to stop procrastinating and actually do my my work. > > -Matt > > > On 10/19/05, David Zakar <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > Gentoo ebuilds sometimes do lots of rather obscene stuff, like co'ing > > from the trunk of the project CVS and building that. I don't believe > > most packages do that, but after having had the unfortunate experience > > of having to deal with problems that arose from that kind of idiocy, > > I've never understood how anyone thinks Gentoo is a serious server OS. > > > > Parting shot: at least I can type "yum -y update" and be reasonably > > assured that my web server will be working afterwards. The whole "RPM > > sucks" thing is so 2003, Phil. :) > > > > -DMZ > > > > On Wed, 2005-10-19 at 14:38 -0400, Phil Anderson wrote: > > > Sorry for the de-rail, but the bit about being bitten by gentoo > > > ebuilds made me think of something. > > > This letter is long, rant-ish, and at points quite specific so i'll > > > give an executive summary: > > > > > > Short version: > > > > > > 1. Do not upgrade the apache ebuild to the latest 2.* versions without > > > reading this: > > > http://www.gentoo.org/doc/en/apache-upgrading.xml > > > 2. don't use e-builds for web applications like phpmyadmin. (seems > > > pointless I agree but they do exist.) > > > > > > Long version: > > > > > > For the love of $deity, do NOT upgrade apache if you haven't read this > > > document: > > > http://www.gentoo.org/doc/en/apache-upgrading.xml > > > > > > not sure what version it took effect in, but let me tell you, I went > > > ahead and did so without reading that, and as a result had to spend > > > the next two hours fixing configuration file chaos because the website > > > wouldn't come back up until I did. And it was hell. > > > > > > On that note, if you emerge things like phpmyadmin, they require this > > > awful package called webapp-config. The idea is that net-config offers > > > a general framework for installing web applications (phpmyadmin and > > > I'd imagine CMS software too), so you can standardize documentroot, > > > etc., by changing one config file. But, you have to edit the > > > webapp-config conf file with the proper http document root, before you > > > emerge anything that uses it, otherwise it'll be wrong. And, if you > > > just type "emerge phpmyadmin" it will emerge PMA after webapp-config > > > without giving you a chance to edit the file, so you'll have to > > > unemerge PMA, edit the file, and then re-emerge it. > > > > > > I'm not really sure why one would use the ebuild of phpmyadmin, > > > honestly - it's easier just to untar and copy the files. but it's just > > > a heads up, because it caused me some anguish a few weeks back. > > > webapp-config is a neat idea, but it's just really not that useful imo > > > - it's like a meta-package manager of sorts. I guess it's useful for > > > things like keeping up to date with the latest versions of web > > > applications (*cough* phpbb anyone?) but most of the time it's just > > > another layer of useless gunk. > > > > > > I still love gentoo (beats hell out of RPMs imho) but these little > > > things really got to me. I understand why they changed the apache > > > config, because it *was* kind of non-standard, but they really didn't > > > make it clear, at least not to me. they should have blocked the > > > package or something to make you manually read the upgrade document. I > > > do prefer to use ebuilds when I can, though, because they generally > > > play nice with everything else I have installed, whereas if I install > > > something from source, other packages that require it may not find it, > > > etc etc... > > > > > > anyway, that's my 47.3 cents. sorry for the semi-OT essay. > > > > > > -phil > > -- > > David Zakar <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > > > -- David Zakar <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
