Am 14. Oct, 2003 schw=E4tzte Ren so:

> Let me explain one of my aggravations with Linux...
>
> There are times when I want to try out a new program (which we will
> call program A, not original... But it will work) and I find out that
> there isn't a package for program A on my disco.. So I get the source
> and compile it.  Well I find out that program A needs library B and my
> version of library B is only 1.2.55.3.4.1 not 1.2.55.3.4.2 that it
> requires.  As luck would have it there isn't an update for library B on
> my computer so I set off to compile it too, which in turn means I need
> to get library C and D to get it working.  I compile everything and
> install it, hoping that it will work, often times with varying degrees
> of success.

This is actually an advantage. It may not seem like it when you're knee dee=
p
in dependencies, but the scenerio's even worse for a system for which you
don't have the source code and necessary tools to build the binaries :).

> Over time, my original distro, be it debian, mandrake, or whatever,
> mutates into some other creature all together where package management
> is holding on a thin thread that is drawn tight and ready to snap
> because of all the non distro libraries, programs, etc I've installed.
> How to you guys deal with this?

Put locally compiled stuff in /usr/local, as Jeremy suggested. That or
package them yourself as liberty suggested.

> I've tried all sorts of distos, they all seem to have this weakness,
> which I know is kind of the nature of an open source OS that is
> constantly evolving... but still, any ideas on how to make everything
> play nice?  What distro carries the latest and greatest versions of
> libraries? or at least tries to.. I know its hard to keep up and make
> it all work.

I don't have this problem on any of my boxen. I don't do too much compiling
anymore, though. I also know debian quite well :).

Find a distro you like and learn it really well.

Learn how to compile source packages from the distro. Learn how to make
packages from the source packages.

ciao,

der.hans
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