Debian Question

[pll at lanminds.com]

In a message dated: Sat, 15 Feb 2003 18:10:15 EST
Jefferson Kirkland said:

>I would  love to get it and install it, but how do you do that with apt-get?

apt-get install x-window-system

Some command lines I often use are:

	apt-cache search
	apt-cache show
	apt-cache pkgnames

apt-cache search x11 returns a lot of packages, so, to narrow things 
down:

	$ apt-cache pkgnames x | grep window
	x-window-system-core
	x-window-system
	x-window-manager

	$ apt-cache show x-window-system | tail
	Size: 60530
	MD5sum: d7eeb28dc16da4df49de55fcf11f5361
	Description: X Window System
	 This metapackage provides substantially all the components of the X Window
	 System as developed by the XFree86 Project, as well as a set of historically
	 popular accessory programs.
	 .
	 The development and debugging libraries are not provided by this metapackage.
	Task: basic-desktop


	$ apt-cache show x-window-system-core| tail -14
	Description: X Window System core components
	 This metapackage provides the essential components for a standalone
	 workstation running the X Window System.  It provides the X libraries, an X
	 server (except on the S/390 architecture), a set of fonts, and a group of
	 basic X clients and utilities.
	 .
	 Higher level metapackages, such as those for desktop environments, can
	 depend on this package and simplify their dependencies.
	 .
	 It should be noted that a package providing x-window-manager and a package
	 providing x-terminal-emulator should also be installed to ensure a
	 comfortable X experience.
	Task: desktop

So, as you can see, you may want to install either of these pkgs.  
I'd go with x-window-system, since it seems to be rather more 
complete than x-window-system-core.

>Also, if I have a package on the debian cd that I would like to install, do 
>I have to add the cdrom as a target for apt-get, or can I tell apt-get on 
>the command line to look in a specific directory on my cdrom?


You can use apt-cdrom to add a cd to the list of places that apt 
looks, however, if you have access to the internet (even via dial-up)
I find it far better to us point my /etc/apt/sources.list file at a 
Debian repository on the net somewhere.  Here's what my sources.list 
file looks like:

	#
	# SID
	#
	deb http://http.us.debian.org/debian/ sid main non-free contrib
	deb-src http://http.us.debian.org/debian/ sid main non-free contrib
	deb http://non-us.debian.org/debian-non-US sid/non-US main contrib 

You can s/sid/stable/g if you want to only point at the stable track. 
I like to live on the bleeding edge :)

HTH,
-- 

Seeya,
Paul
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