Partitions

[iago]

As long as you don't mind compiling from source

This is a rather significant caveat.

Compiling X...
FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCCCCCCCCK I NEED Y

Compiling Y
FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCCK I NEED Z...

etc... with something like Ubuntu, it's

sudo apt-get install X

FUCKING DONE!

Not that I always find this significantly more convenient than installing from source, but quite often, it is.

This is just one thing, though.  If there's a specific issue, it's uncommon to not turn up a few results on the internet with people having the same problem (and subsequently solving it).  This is true of Slackware too, but it happens less frequently, in my experience.

I definitely prefer something like Ubuntu or Fedora to Slackware for desktop.

I rarely get your issue on Slackware. When I'm on Redhat or Ubuntu or any other package-based distro, I run into dependency problems all the time. When I compile on Slackware, it's rare.

The times when I DO run into it (like Pidgin), it's pretty straight forward to install the dependencies.

[Chavo]

I'm reasonably sure that Debian/Ubuntu and Fedora (and possibly OpenSUSE) have comparably (even better) comprehensive packages available.  If dependency chain issues are your biggest problem with Slackware, try Arch.  pacman is amazing and the only package manager I have liked better than apt.  I don't have anything against Slackware, but it's not exactly a bleeding edge or super-stable distro.  It's hard to advocate middle-of-the-road :P

[Sidoh]

As long as you don't mind compiling from source

This is a rather significant caveat.

Compiling X...
FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCCCCCCCCK I NEED Y

Compiling Y
FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCCK I NEED Z...

etc... with something like Ubuntu, it's

sudo apt-get install X

FUCKING DONE!

Not that I always find this significantly more convenient than installing from source, but quite often, it is.

This is just one thing, though.  If there's a specific issue, it's uncommon to not turn up a few results on the internet with people having the same problem (and subsequently solving it).  This is true of Slackware too, but it happens less frequently, in my experience.

I definitely prefer something like Ubuntu or Fedora to Slackware for desktop.

I rarely get your issue on Slackware. When I'm on Redhat or Ubuntu or any other package-based distro, I run into dependency problems all the time. When I compile on Slackware, it's rare.

The times when I DO run into it (like Pidgin), it's pretty straight forward to install the dependencies.

The type of dependency issues I'm referring to are solved automatically by the package manager...

[iago]

Assuming the program (and version) you want has been packaged by the team. And also assuming you don't need any special patches to the source, and that you have no intention of ever modifying the source.

I've been in a case (fairly recently) that I ran into all of the above -- the Ubuntu package manager didn't have a program I needed, and I had to write a patch anyways (to remove some protection I didn't want -- I needed the ability to send illegal character sequences).

Another example -- I help out with a project (Nmap). Therefore, I need a) the bleeding edge svn and b) to modify/recompile the code frequently. That was excessively difficult on RHEL and Ubuntu -- neither compiled the code without resolving a bunch of dependencies manually.

But yeah, a package manager is good at what it's good at. But it falls short for my needs. :)

[Sidoh]

But yeah, a package manager is good at what it's good at. But it falls short for my needs. :)

You do dirty things to your computer that deadly wouldn't dream of.

you whore.

[iago]

But yeah, a package manager is good at what it's good at. But it falls short for my needs. :)

You do dirty things to your computer that deadly wouldn't dream of.

you whore.

Are you calling deadly a n00b?

[Sidoh]

But yeah, a package manager is good at what it's good at. But it falls short for my needs. :)

You do dirty things to your computer that deadly wouldn't dream of.

you whore.

Are you calling deadly a n00b?

no, i'm calling you a whore. : )

[Joe]

Assuming the program (and version) you want has been packaged by the team. And also assuming you don't need any special patches to the source, and that you have no intention of ever modifying the source.

I've been in a case (fairly recently) that I ran into all of the above -- the Ubuntu package manager didn't have a program I needed, and I had to write a patch anyways (to remove some protection I didn't want -- I needed the ability to send illegal character sequences).

Another example -- I help out with a project (Nmap). Therefore, I need a) the bleeding edge svn and b) to modify/recompile the code frequently. That was excessively difficult on RHEL and Ubuntu -- neither compiled the code without resolving a bunch of dependencies manually.

But yeah, a package manager is good at what it's good at. But it falls short for my needs. :)

Ubuntu's software repositories contain about 30GB (compressed) of stuff, all with it's dependencies met in the repositories. It comes standard with the "main" and "security" repositories enabled. Main is set in stone when a release comes out (every 6 months) and "security" can override "main" for when things need to be fixed. That's your core, stable system.

From there, you can enable "backports" if you run an older core system but want newer software than what came with "main". Also, you can enable "restricted", "universe", and "multiverse" for packages of varying non-free-ness. Main and security are 100% free software.

[iago]

Assuming the program (and version) you want has been packaged by the team. And also assuming you don't need any special patches to the source, and that you have no intention of ever modifying the source.

I've been in a case (fairly recently) that I ran into all of the above -- the Ubuntu package manager didn't have a program I needed, and I had to write a patch anyways (to remove some protection I didn't want -- I needed the ability to send illegal character sequences).

Another example -- I help out with a project (Nmap). Therefore, I need a) the bleeding edge svn and b) to modify/recompile the code frequently. That was excessively difficult on RHEL and Ubuntu -- neither compiled the code without resolving a bunch of dependencies manually.

But yeah, a package manager is good at what it's good at. But it falls short for my needs. :)

Ubuntu's software repositories contain about 30GB (compressed) of stuff, all with it's dependencies met in the repositories. It comes standard with the "main" and "security" repositories enabled. Main is set in stone when a release comes out (every 6 months) and "security" can override "main" for when things need to be fixed. That's your core, stable system.

From there, you can enable "backports" if you run an older core system but want newer software than what came with "main". Also, you can enable "restricted", "universe", and "multiverse" for packages of varying non-free-ness. Main and security are 100% free software.

Ok... so?

[deadly7]

Vista question:
Anybody know of any good [preferrably free] firewall programs? I'll be on an open network a lot and don't want to risk my computer. Firewall is more important than antivirus, just if it makes a difference.

[iago]

If you're just concerned about people connecting to you, Vista's firewall will do fine.

If you want to do stuff from untrusted networks, I recommend the following:
a) Use SSH to connect to a system that's more trusted, and create a tunnel (-D with console ssh, PuTTy has an option somewhere)
b) Set your browser to proxy everything through localhost (FoxyProxy helps with that, letting you quickly switch proxies)

For example, on Linux, I do the following:
$ ssh -D8080 www.myhomecomputer.com

Then, in Firefox, I set my proxy to localhost:8080.

Effectively, all traffic is tunnelled over the ssh session and encrypted till it comes out at www.myhomecomputer.com.

You can redirect your instant messengers, browser, email, and everything through the tunnel.

Whenever I'm on an untrusted network (Hotel, mall, Starbucks, anywhere in the USA) I do that.

[deadly7]

I have no system like that to which I could connect.. And yes, this is for doing any sort of activity on an unsecure network. I'll be on a public non-encrypted connection most of the time I'm on my laptop.

[iago]

I can give you an account on the box I use for IM and such, if you want to be paranoid like that. It's the box I proxy through.

(Disclaimer: as long as you don't waste a ton of bandwidth on videos and stuff :) )

[deadly7]

I can give you an account on the box I use for IM and such, if you want to be paranoid like that. It's the box I proxy through.

(Disclaimer: as long as you don't waste a ton of bandwidth on videos and stuff :) )

Will you be on AIM later tonight? We can figure it out then until I find a more local solution.

[iago]

I can give you an account on the box I use for IM and such, if you want to be paranoid like that. It's the box I proxy through.

(Disclaimer: as long as you don't waste a ton of bandwidth on videos and stuff :) )

Will you be on AIM later tonight? We can figure it out then until I find a more local solution.

I should be on.