linuxgeek: [LINUX_Newbies] Re: NEWBIE with first question

--- In LINUX_Newbies@yahoogroups.com, "highskywhy@..." <highskywhy@...> wrote:

>
>
> The syntax of /etc/apt/sources.list is simple enough. I feel it is
> certainly worthwhile to master. I would be missing critical system
> components if it was not for adding repository locations to my file.
> *
> Is it dangerous to open system files?

You can always destroy your system when modifying system files, but on the other hand quite often we have to in order to configure it the way we want. Besides: No risk, no fun!

General advice: ALWAYS make a backup of the file you are about to mess around with [I had to learn that the hard way for a few times x-(]
A quick way to do that, make a copy of the file in the same directory and append it with a suffix of your liking:

Example:
# cp /etc/apt/sources.list{,-OLD}

This command creates a copy of the file and appends '-OLD' to the copy. So in case anything gets screwed up (network-interfaces, fstab, mtab, sources.list, you name it) you copy back the original.

> I can't stand terminal editors so I grant the root user access to my X
> session so I can use a sane GUI editor with this command:
>
> pfred1@buck:~$ xhost +local:root
> *
> OK
>
>
> I have synaptic installed, but I never use it. I mean I have, but it
> generally doesn't appeal to me.
> *
> Is it dangerous to use Synaptic?
> Or is it just more easy for a beginner?
>

As far as I know, Synaptic is just a graphical frontend for apt-get, the other package-management tool for Debian-based distributions.

> I like aptitude though, and use it often, for whatever that is worth.
> In fact I just used aptitude to check the status of synaptic on this
> system. I haven't used synaptic on this PC in so long I couldn't
> remember if I had it installed, or not. Admittedly I am not too crazy
> about aptitude's ncurses interface, but just to do a show, a search, or
> install, I use aptitude all of the time.

You know that you do not have to use ncurses interface of aptitude but may simply type commands as with apt-get like?

aptitude install PACKAGE
aptitude search PACKAGE
aptitude update && aptitude upgrade

I hope that makes things a little bit clearer,

Pascal