[SLUG] If its not broken, dont (attempt to) fix it?

[Gavin Baker]

On Thu, 2002-10-31 at 14:13, Adams, Jamie wrote:

> > I guess you selected the "server" task or similar at install time? 
> > 
> There was no option for server, workstation or anything like that. It pops
> up with tasksel in the install and I chose:
> 
> 	X Window System
> 	Desktops
> 	Dialup Station
> 	Games (of course :)
> 	Debian Jnr (for the little one)
> 	C/C++ Development
> 
> When you look at the choices in detail they do include a lot of things that
> are not really related to the category they are in. In future I may just use
> dselect.

I prefer to select nothing at all from tasksel at install time, I just
install the base system (which includes things like the ppp/adsl tools).

When the network is setup, and I have told apt where to get it's
packages from (apt-setup), then i start installing what i need.

You can run tasksel if you like, or instead just install the
metapackages with apt-get. (for example, the "X window system" task in
tasksel is just a virtual package, one that exists just to depend on
other packages. So apt-get install x-window-system will install xfonts*
xlibs* xutils, xterm etc)

  apt-cache show <package name>  shows all the package details.

If you enable bash's programmable completion, you can just do
  
  apt-cache show x<TAB><TAB>

for example, to get a full list of package names beginning with x*, the
same way filename completion works. (gotta love that :).

I really hate dselect. I think it borders on evil. I think aptitude,
kpackage or gnome-apt are much nicer ways to browse whats
installed/available.
 
> > If you want to leave them installed but not have them start up at boot
> > time, you can just remove their /etc/rc*.d/ scripts or maybe change the
> > /etc/rc2.d/S*wwwoffle script to /etc/rc2.d/K*wwwoffle. (debian boots to
> > runlevel 2 by default). This is what the various GUI sysV init editor
> > thingies do.
> > 
> It boots to X windows on mine (runlevel 5?), which is quite frustrating
> because it does not test, or give you the option to test your X settings
> before doing this. I managed to get it working anyways,

Debian's default runlevel is 2. Your display manager
(gdm/kdm/xdm/wdm/...) will start at runlevel 2 (as will just about
everything you install).

It's just the redhat defaults that have a kind of run level "rule"
(2: multiuser no nfs, 3: 2+NFS, 4: unused, 5: 3+X display manager).

If you don't want the display manager to start at your default runlevel,
just remove its symlink from /etc/rc2.d/.

If you want to change the default runlevel, just change it in
/etc/inittab.

If you want to change to a different runlevel, just use "init <number>".
 
So it would be very simple to immitate the redhat way(tm), but making
your own rules is nice too :)

> > If a kernel module isn't released under a GPL license, then it "taints"
> > the kernel. http://www.tux.org/lkml/#export-tainted has more. Did you
> > use some binary only kernel drivers?
> > 
> Thats what I thought it meant, but it was complaining that the NTFS and USB
> modules were tainting the kernel, im am almmost 100% sure that these are
> gpl'd. I did install the Nvidia drivers, but they shouldnt have affected any
> of the other modules should they?

It "shouldn't" have :)
 
> Anyway, I reinstalled last night and most things seem to be working okay
> now. Fingers crossed anyway, I really would like to get some work done on my
> computer!

Regards,
Gav