linuxgeek: Re: [LINUX_Newbies] Re: NEWBIE with first question UPDATE Pangolin to Quantal

Sa Dez 29 16:27:21 2012
Good evening
Thank You for help.

> 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!
*
Thank You.

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}
*
Where can I find an introction about the directories
so I can save them on a stick:
gconf
config
fontconfig
Adobe
pki
kde
and so on.
Maybe there is a homepage in the www
where all this Linux directories are described.

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.

*
Thank You.

> 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.
*
Is it more easy to use the terminal
for example:

sudo rm /var/lib/apt/lists/* -vf
sudo apt-get clean
sudo apt-get update --fix-missing

(This I am doing once a week)
or is it more easy to do with the Synaptic?

What is the most easy way to update or upgrade Pangolin to Quantal using
Xubuntu?

> 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,
*
I prefer to use the terminal like
sudo rm /var/lib/apt/lists/* -vf
sudo apt-get clean
sudo apt-get update --fix-missing

but maybe the GUI is more easy

Should I do this
sudo rm /var/lib/apt/lists/* -vf
sudo apt-get clean
sudo apt-get update --fix-missing
aptitude install PACKAGE
aptitude search PACKAGE
aptitude update && aptitude upgrade

?

Pascal

Regards
Sophie