linuxgeek: Re: [LINUX_Newbies] Re: NEWBIE with first question

Fr Dez 28 17:23:26 2012 Good evening.
Thank You for help.

>> Is it necessary to update every Linux System?
>
> I can only answer it depends. Some software is genuinely buggy, and
security exploits do crop up from time to time. Also some new features
may be rolled out during a release's lifetime that are desirable too. I
used to update religiously and I have to admit I never really noticed
any big improvements. A couple of times I even got "improvements" that I
did not want too. There really is no guarantee that an update will not
introduce new bugs, or weaknesses to a system. People make mistakes
after all.
*
Is there a difference between Slitaz and Ubuntus and Siduction?

>
>> Is it possible to use Linux offline?
>
> Yes. Although you will not be able to use some features like online
software updating of course.
*
Yes, sure no online software.
But for example is it possible a new Blender to an old Ubuntu
or should I update with a new Live CD every 6 months the whole system?
>
>> For example can I install Blender 2.63, which is new, with
>> an offline-Ubuntu-Hardy?
>
> Out of repository software installation can be a complicated task.
There is a way to make your own software packages that you can then
install using the package manager but I generally do not go through all
of the trouble myself.
*
Thank You.

>
> For software that is not packaged other rules apply. The Linux
filesystem has a few places where locally installed software is supposed
to go, /usr/local, /opt, and you can place things into your home
directory too. Theoretically software installed those places is
segregated from the rest of the system but still available. Negative
interactions can still occur if say multiple shared libraries are
installed in /usr/lib and /usr/local/lib
*
This is special for a newbie.
But maybe later I can manage that.
I want to learn "Linux".

>
> I don't want to alarm you but Linux has its own version of DLL hell.
Fortunately we have a few tools we can use to deal with it when it crops
up though. Here are some words you can read about in man pages for more
information:
>
> ldconfig
> ldd
> nm
>
> lsof is also a handy tool to track down system anomalies too. It is
something you should be aware exists. I used it recently to fix my web
browser. Turns out a bad cached font file was really messing it up.
>
> Now back to software packages that come from sources other than your
installation's repository. Generally users are discouraged from using
packages that aren't supposed to be used with their operating system
release. But that is not to say that it always fails, or causes system
problems. The trouble people get into here is sometimes it does work, it
depends on the package.
>
> There are other ways of installing software that are more
recommended. Using your Blender example for instance I've installed
blender-2.63 from source code I downloaded directly off their website.
Doing that I avoided my package manager's dependency requirements all
together, and also kept my installation from tainting my system too.
>
> It took me a long time to learn how to build large software packages
though so I'm afraid the best I can tell you is doing that is something
you are going to have to work on yourself to get better at. I'm still
not great at it myself, but I usually manage to do what I want to. Not
all of the time though.
>
> Pro Tip: Whenever you attempt to do anything really challenging in
Linux make a text file of process notes. It'll help you organize your
thoughts in the moment and it is good reference if you ever need to
perform the same task again, or go back and fix something you may have
done wrong. In the file you can gather information about the task,
record the exact commands you used, any output etc. I'd be lost without
my notes. My notes are usually pretty rough but they keep me on track
here is a sample of me building my kernel for instance:
*
Thank You for help.
I only use Linux online now.
There is an offline Windos PC.
I am just thinking about the offline PC to Linux.

Regards
Sophie

>
> -------- copy -----
>
> Linux buck 2.6.34.13 #1 SMP PREEMPT Sat Sep 29 19:22:46 EDT 2012 i686
GNU/Linux
>
>
> pfred1@buck:/usr/src/linux$ grep CONFIG_SENSORS_F71882FG .config
> # CONFIG_SENSORS_F71882FG is not set
>
> I need to dump my old kernel vmlinuz-2.6.320
>
> dpkg --purge linux-image-2.6.320
>
> Now select the module in the menu
>
> save this just in case:
> pfred1@buck:/usr/src/linux$ cp .config ~/KernelConfig.txt
>
> -rw-r--r-- 1 pfred1 pfred1 68282 Sep 29 19:18 .config
>
> make-kpkg clean
>
> that didn't touch .config
>
> make menuconfig
>
> OK found it selected it as a module
>
> export CONCURRENCY_LEVEL=2
>
> or:
> CONCURRENCY_LEVEL=$(getconf _NPROCESSORS_ONLN)
> echo $(getconf _NPROCESSORS_ONLN)
> 2
>
> /usr/src/linux$ time fakeroot make-kpkg --initrd --revision=02
kernel_image modules_image
>
>
> Perhaps I should be using this --append-to-version switch?
> make-kpkg --append-to-version -5custom01-686 \
> --revision 2.6.32-46 --initrd --rootcmd fakeroot \
> kernel_image modules_image
>
> I'm going with this:
> /usr/src/linux$ time fakeroot make-kpkg --initrd --append-to-version
-2x686 kernel_image modules_image
>
> --------- end of copy -----
>
> Some of that is pretty dense stuff that doesn't roll around in my
head too comfortably. So putting it into a text file helps me out a lot.
Keeping notes files is kind of like a lever that allows me to lift
heavier weight than I could on my own. This simple technique transformed
what I was capable of doing in Linux. Anyhow I'm just putting it out
there. Do it, don't do it, it is what I do. Instead of wishing someone
wrote a manual for doing some of this stuff I kind of write my own? Oh
by the way that paste isn't the definitive correct way to build a kernel
in Debian, it is just one way I did it. I always manage to do it a
little differently. It isn't a bad start though.
>
> Anyhow learning the package management system is pretty important and
I'm sure Ubuntu has their own documentation that covers the topic, but
it is the same system Debian uses and Debian's documentation is the
definitive reference, so here is a link to it:
>
> http://www.debian.org/doc/manuals/debian-reference/ch02.en.html
>
> I wish this stuff was easier, but it isn't. Piloting a rocket ship to
the Moon probably only looks easy too. Modern computers are more
complicated than that! When you go out of your distribution's repository
things do tend to get a little complicated.
>
> I don't want to discourage you, I build and install some software I
really want, but mostly I stick with what I can get with my package
manager too. I know with Blender in order to follow along with a lot of
the online tutorials you need the newer version. That is why I built a
local copy of it for myself. So sometimes we don't have a choice. Some
kind people do build custom packages for popular distributions and offer
them, and there is another service called backports that can be checked
too. Backports are newer versions of software packaged for older
distribution releases. All of that is done to make it easier for users
to avoid the hassles of trying to build their own software.
>
> So search the Internet because someone might have the version of
Blender you want packaged for your distribution that you can download
and install. If you can find it it would be the easiest thing for you to
do. Installing it would be a simple dpkg -i command.
>
> I do recommend that you do learn how to compile software though. I
mean that is one of the big benefits of running Linux, that we can do
that. It offers the ultimate in flexibility. It's as good as Mom's home
cooking!
>
> pfred1@buck:~$ uname -a
> Linux buck 2.6.34.13-2x686 #1 SMP PREEMPT Tue Dec 11 21:23:45 EST
2012 i686 GNU/Linux
>
> I built that! The Debian way of building kernels (that Ubuntu can do
too) is really nice. I personally wouldn't have it any other way. How to
do that exactly right is as I'm sure you can imagine pretty involved
though. But building your own custom kernel is something the Windows
crowd will never get to do now will they? I mean if we're going to run
Linux we might as well take advantage of the situation.
>
> This is a lot to digest but you asked some pretty big questions. I
also have a habit of digressing. Take things one step at a time and
you'll manage.
>
>>
>> Regards
>> Sophie

Yes.

I am saving all these emails and later on I am studying this.

Thank You again.

Sophie