>> Yeah. It's great when it works like that. But sometimes it decides that
>> it wants to install version X of the thing you asked for, which depends
>> on a completely different version of something critical - GCC, the Linux
>> kernel, libc, whatever. Obviously, replace that and you have to replace
>> half the software on your HD. :-}
> 
> Funny, I don't run into that problem - and generally haven't in the 
> nearly 15 years I've been running Linux.
> 
> You *can* run into this if you use nonstandard repos regularly, but I 
> don't.  What's in a repo like the openSUSE repos is tested so that these 
> types of conflicts don't occur.

I'm guessing KNOPPIX is configured to look for something silly. When I 
tried to repeat the process with Ubuntu, it was fairly painless. I 
remember Gentoo was always a PITA though... and Debian, for that matter. 
(Debian was years ago tho.)

>> This, of course, completely defies the entire purpose of shared
>> libraries! :-D
> 
> Of course it does.  But you were lamenting that "This never happens in 
> Windows" - this is a big part of the reason why.

I think maybe like Darren said, people on Windows try to minimise 
dependencies. For example, I remember trying to set up an email program 
and discovering that you can't install it unless you have sound enabled 
in the Linux kernel. (WTF?) Because the package manager thinks foomail 
depends on libsound, or something.

>>> I never use IRC to ask for help - just never needed that sort of
>>> immediacy.
>> No - this was for help with the open-source project I'm trying to
>> contribute to, not for Linux. ;-)
> 
> And questions about VirtualBox (for example) are not out of place in an 
> appropriate Ubuntu or openSUSE community group.

Even if you want to know which one would be the best choice to run 
Ubuntu on your Windows box? ;-)

>> I added a section to the user manual. (Which is written in something
>> called "docbook", by the way.)
> 
> Very cool.  Make sure you note that for your CV as well, things like that 
> can be useful.

And you think I embarked on this crazy mission, *why*?? 0;-)

-- 
http://blog.orphi.me.uk/
http://www.zazzle.com/MathematicalOrchid*

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