Re: RH8 - where is the package management?

[mike808@users.sourceforge.net]

> > Unless the GUI file managers "know" to install RPMs when clicked on.
> > I know SuSE does this in Konqueror - it displays the info, dependencies, and
> > provides, and has a button to install it on the spot. Mandrake has rpmdrake.
> 
> IMHO, this is what's needed.  And not just "right-click to install", but
> real software installation support integrated with the GUI.

Yup. Debian users have Synaptic. And dselect for the non-GUI crowd.
RPM-based distros have apt4rpm and Synaptic. :=)

Xandros has a decent package manager (apt-based) in XandrosUpdate (although
it currently doesn't like using apt preferences). Since it's apt-based,
Synaptic would probably be a better choice to "graduate" to. I avoid the
Xandros Networks update mechanism - it's Mozilla/XUL-based, and it locks
you into Xandros' repository. But, they provide both and don't make the
"HOWTO use debian sources" too hard to find. The downside is that Xandros
isn't very quick to release GPL-mandated source materials for parts of woody
they've modified. My poster child package for them is 'nedit'.

SuSE's YAST2 package management is the best of the bunch, IMHO.
Nice navigation and tables of what's available, what's installed, custom 
repository sources, color-coding and status icons to indicate conflicts, 
errant packages (not from the repository), what's installed, available, 
and updates. The downside is that it's darned near impossible to get
patches and fixes into SuSE's repository.

Mandrake's urpmi/rpmdrake has the ability for multiple repositories, 
similar to apt, but I don't think it has a 'preferences' feature.
It's also more unstable, as it doesn't always get the dependency chains 
perfect. apt does a better job at that. The downside is that anyone can
put up a package into the MandrakeClub repository so quality is very haphazard.

Mike808/

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