How do I install 'upgrade' software?

[Dongle_Dave]

The thing that I have the hardest time understanding, and that is keeping me from switching to Linux, is the process for upgrading software builds as they come out. I'm mainly interested in Apache, PHP, and MYSQL.

In general terms with Windows, you go get the .exe and double click on it. From what little I know about Linux, you have to get the .tar file, figure out how to properly uncompress it using some type of MD5 signature, and install using a lot of manual coding from a command prompt.

Can anyone recommend some resources to help me get beyond my fears?

Thanks in advance...

Dave

 

[igottaknife]

For a very similar reason I decided to go with Gentoo. Updating Gentoo is easier than WinXP update. The only problem is that the Gentoo installation is the hardest Linux install bar-none. Once Gentoo is installed and running, everything runs through thier portage program. It's very interesting and I'm learning a lot from it. Best thing though is to have a 2nd computer so that you can access the internet and troubleshoot any problems. If you don't have a 2nd PC I wouldn't recommend such an installation.

Leave a real <A HREF="http://forumz.tomshardware.com/modules.php?name=Forums&file=faq" target="_new">link</A>

 

[poorboy]

You've described one way of installing software, but generally, you don't need to do that. 90% of the software on my system is from the distro CDs, and is installed through the rpm and urpmi system.

Basically, you tell the package system where your pacakge sources are (CD/ftp/http) and it looks after the details. Here's a couple of screen caps:
<A HREF="http://home.clear.net.nz/pages/rich_b_nz/MCC-SM.png" target="_new">Mandrake Control Center software management page</A>
<A HREF="http://home.clear.net.nz/pages/rich_b_nz/MCC-I.png" target="_new">Mandrake Control Center software installation page</A>
<A HREF="http://home.clear.net.nz/pages/rich_b_nz/MCC-U.png" target="_new">Mandrake Control Center software update page</A>

It's all point and click so far. This is enough for day to day use, and keeping the machine updated with any required patches. If you want to install non-distro packages, some vendors provide RPMs which can be installed manually (or often by clicking them, depending on distro). Others write their own installer scripts which can be run from the command prompt. For the likes of Apache, PHP, and MySQL, fear not - these will be well maintained by your distro vendor. The "built in" update system will work just fine for them.

The only time you need to do the tar -zxf ; make; make install thing is when there's no package available, or you need/want a custom build.

<i>Knock Knock, Neo</i>

 

[TKS]

It also all depends on your software package manager. Most distributions include their own custom written package managers...for instance, apt-get for debian, pkgtool for slackware, urpmi for mandrake, yum for redhat...

the bottom line is that you SHOULD NOT BASE YOUR DISTRIBUTION CHOICE on package manager. Why? Because then you are admitting that you are inept...go with me on this. The thing about linux is that there are no expectations with it...and there shouldn't be...it's free. You shouldn't expect to have everything done for you. That's the beauty of it. You should expect to have to work for your packages. However, some package managers do make things easy and by using that as your main criteria...you short yourself.

Everyone told me that slackware sux because its package manager doesn't resolve dependencies. So as far as everyone else was concerned...slackware sucked...even though I love the layout, the feel, the power of it. If they had their way, I would be running debian or gentoo right now and NOT the most pure and unaltered Linux distro out there. Then I found a third party package manager called <A HREF="http://www.swaret.org" target="_new">swaret</A> that resolves dependencies and libraries. So if I'd have listened to those inept individuals...i'd have lost and joined the ranks of the inept.

So choose your distribution...don't listen to everyone else...do what I did and install about 10 different ones and mess with them for a couple of days each. Don't worry about the package manager. When you find a couple 2 or 3 that you like...THEN go and investigate the package manager. There is a <A HREF="http://lwn.net/Articles/49967/" target="_new">review</A> of package managers that I feel is well written. But remember that the review is scoring the managers based on IF they come preinstalled with the system as well as performance. If I docked points off microsoft on third party programs I have running that didn't come installed with it...they wouldn't have points left.

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<b>It is always brave to say what everyone thinks. </b> <i>Georges Duhamel</i>

TKS

 

[Dongle_Dave]

Thanks all! Some great advice. So TKS, what distro did you ultimatey settle on?

I tried out RedHat a few months back. I got the install going, but then when it came time to update Apache, I choked. I guess I didn't know about package managers... I'll check out the review you referenced.

Thanks

Dave

 

[silverpig]

I think he's on a mepis kick right now

I love gentoo. It's very basic, but it has the portage package system from BSD that just rocks.

s signature has been formatted to fit your scr

 

[TKS]

Yep...I've got MEPIS on one box, Mandrake 10 (soon to be smoothwall just for kicks) on another, and my main server which hubs everything has Slackware 9.1 upgraded to current using <A HREF="http://www.swaret.org" target="_new">swaret</A> for my package manager.

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<b>It is always brave to say what everyone thinks. </b> <i>Georges Duhamel</i>

TKS