Installing other RPMs

[bilou]

Hi

I'm pretty new to Fedora (2 days !) so please forgive my ignorance ..
Under Mdk there's a GUI which lets you choose rpms from a big list.
It gives a short description of the package, and if you choose to install
it it asks for the correct CDrom.

Does the application "system-config-packages" list all of the packages
featured on the 3 CDrom set ??

Also, I didn't understand if I have to pay to use the up2date function,
and how it works ...

Thanks
(apart from that, I noticed and corrected a bug in system-config-display,
where could I submit this bug fix ?)

[VStrider]

about your 1st question, i think it does though i'm not sure.

up2date is free. you get an icon on your panel that will flash red when there are updates available. you can then install them either through up2date or through yum.

if you want to use up2date click on the flashing icon and click "launch up2date". from there click forward until you get to available packages. mark the ones you want updated (or all) and click forward. if it complains about a GPG key, let it install it. without it you wont be able to update.

i found yum to be alot faster than up2date though.
type yum check-update for a list of avail updates, and type yum update to go through with the updates.

you can file bugs here.
what's the bug btw?

[bilou]

Ok, thanks for the reply.
Downloading updates in progress.
Pretty slow .. I guess a lot of updates are available.

Now how could I find a rpm for some application that is not provided on
the CD roms ? (Namely kobodl, or skobo, or xkobo)

The bug is:
I have a radeon 7500, using stock fedora drivers, I try to activate the
external vga port with system-config-display. This app will not save it's
changes to xorg.conf due to a bug somewhere line 208 in xConfigDialog.py

I did not understand what was wrong yet, but replaced this line with
primaryPCIBus = "xxx" and manually removing the "xxx" line from
xorg.conf ..

Bye

[kosmosik]

Originally Posted by bilou

I'm pretty new to Fedora (2 days !)

hi there!

Originally Posted by bilou

so please forgive my ignorance ..

in fact this is not documented at all - meaning end user. so it is not your fault

Originally Posted by bilou

Under Mdk there's a GUI which lets you choose rpms from a big list.
It gives a short description of the package, and if you choose to install
it it asks for the correct CDrom.

problem with Fedora is that it is really fast moving - it is not intended for stable/home use with cdroms. Fedora is intended for people with Internet access - the most convinient way to install packages is via Internet... Fedora people don't bother with CDs - they get outdated in few days... :>

it is like Fedora has lot of packages (like 5000 with external repositories) so they change often, CD snapshot would not be actually current - you know, software has bugs, people fix them, people add new cool features etc. this is bleeding edge

this is how it looks.

Originally Posted by bilou

Does the application "system-config-packages" list all of the packages
featured on the 3 CDrom set ??

I don't use this application but AFAIK it does not list packages - it is something like higher than packages - it lists functionalities - I mean it does not allow you to select several packages. it rather allows you to install given functionality, meaning it does not allow you to choose:

[ ] mysql
[ ] mysql-server
[ ] mysql-foo
[ ] libmysql-shmoo
[ ] myodbc
[ ] mysql-client
... etc.

it just list "MySQL Database Server" and installs it all... so it does not work on package basis.

also I don't know if it works with multiple CDs. I know than it works with sources - so source can be f.e. NFS server directory with packages, or HTTP, or local filesystem file tree. but AFAIR it must be populated with every dependant package - it cannot deal with multiple CDs like saying "now give my CD #3" - but I can be wrong here. I dont use it often. I usually pull packages straight from Internet.

I use apt in CLI for my package management, but there is also nice gui for apt named Synaptic.

http://oceanic.wsisiz.edu.pl/~kosmow...c/synaptic.png

you can grab it from:
http://freshrpms.net/

Originally Posted by bilou

Also, I didn't understand if I have to pay to use the up2date function,
and how it works ...

Fedora is community supported distribution, you don't have to pay for anything (unless you consider f.e. paying me or other for support or other service around it - you can do this always)...

up2date is paid and flagship product for RH EL distributions (which are paid Red Hat versions) - it allows you to manage hundreds of systems via central console and looks quite cool, but it is expensive. :\

Originally Posted by bilou

Thanks
(apart from that, I noticed and corrected a bug in system-config-display,
where could I submit this bug fix ?)

have you tried to visit Fedora website and search for "bugs" term?

[VStrider]

add a file in your /etc/yum.repos.d with this:

[extras]
name=Fedora Extras - $releasever - $basearch
baseurl=http://download.fedora.redhat.com/pub/fedora/linux/extras/$releasever/$basearch/
gpgcheck=1
gpgkey=http://download.fedora.redhat.com/pub/fedora/linux/extras/RPM-GPG-KEY-Fedora-Extras

[extras-debug]
name=Fedora Extras - $releasever - $basearch - Debugging packages
baseurl=http://download.fedora.redhat.com/pub/fedora/linux/extras/$releasever/$basearch/debug/
gpgcheck=1
gpgkey=http://download.fedora.redhat.com/pub/fedora/linux/extras/RPM-GPG-KEY-Fedora-Extras
enabled=0

that'll add the fedora extras repo. so when you search for apps that are not in the core, up2date or yum will search there as well. if it's still not there you can use some other repo like freshrpms or rpmfind

oh dont forget the key for the extras

rpm --import http://download.fedora.redhat.com/pub/fedora/linux/extras/RPM-GPG-KEY-Fedora-Extras

[VStrider]

Originally Posted by kosmosik

up2date is paid and flagship product for RH EL distributions (which are paid Red Hat versions) - it allows you to manage hundreds of systems via central console and looks quite cool, but it is expensive. :\

the redhat network is a paid service.
you can use up2date (the one shipped with FC3) for free.

[bilou]

Originally Posted by kosmosik

problem with Fedora is that it is really fast moving - it is not intended for stable/home use with cdroms. Fedora is intended for people with Internet access - the most convinient way to install packages is via Internet... Fedora people don't bother with CDs - they get outdated in few days... :>

it is like Fedora has lot of packages (like 5000 with external repositories) so they change often, CD snapshot would not be actually current - you know, software has bugs, people fix them, people add new cool features etc. this is bleeding edge

Ok, sorry. I'm new to fedora but been using linux for ages ...
My favorite distro these days is gentoo. The Fedora install is for my job. It had to be a fedora, otherwise I would have chosen gentoo, since I'm into it right now.

Thanks for the synaptic tip. I'll try to DL this.

My up2date sync seems to be stuck. 1.30 am here. I'll go to bed.

Bye

[bilou]

Originally Posted by VStrider

add a file in your /etc/yum.repos.d with this:

Hi

I browsed a web page on fedora web site which lists the packages available as extras, but the was no version of xkobo ... I think I'll have to go the tgz route.

Thanks bye

[kosmosik]

Originally Posted by bilou

My up2date sync seems to be stuck. 1.30 am here. I'll go to bed.

up2date by default uses Red Hat servers directly - I don't use it but I've read that those servers are not to stable - you can change up2date config to work with your local mirror servers and the connections should be more stable...

but in fact I would advice you to use apt or yum instead of up2date... but keep in mind that using apt is not supported officially so you have to know few things. especially when mixing multiple repositories... most important stuff is covered in "man apt_preferences". I mean apt pinning - where you choose priorities for packages. so f.e. you will like to use all aviable repositories for common unimportant/not critical stuff like games but you will want apt to only install server packages from official vendor etc.

it has some hassle involved but once you get to know it it is quite convinient, safe and usefull.

[kosmosik]

Originally Posted by bilou

I browsed a web page on fedora web site which lists the packages available as extras, but the was no version of xkobo ... I think I'll have to go the tgz route.

try kobo de luxe instead of xkobo - it is better version of xkobo (with opengl support and better graphics) ))

http://olofson.net/kobodl/

you can find packages for xkobo here:
http://dag.wieers.com/packages/xkobo/

[bilou]

Hi

kobodl is what I'm looking for. Unfornately the olofson.net site does no longer have rpms ..

I've tried again to use up2date. The thing goes up to a progress dialog 'Testing packages /
solving RPM inter-dependancies' and ... stays stucked.
I guess it will eventually work anyway.

My next problem will be to replicate all these updates onto 8 other computers, which have
almost the same packages installed. I chose in up2date to only download the RPMs so I
guess I can use this machine as a source for updates for the others ...

Bye

[bilou]

Hi all

I eventually managed to create a yum.conf with good mirrors. The yum update was almost perfect (keyboard changed from "fr" to "us" in xorg.conf .. only trouble).

Bye
(The job is done, no more fedora for me right now so i'll leave this forum. Tanks for your kind and precise answers !!)

[VStrider]

yes, up2date is slow and if you have way too many updates to install, it'll hang while resolving dependencies.... i suspect it's the gui that causes the problem but i'm not sure.

yum is alot faster and better. you shouldn't have problems.

[rega451]

Here is some info on an application named Smart Package Manager from www.fedoranews.org . I recently installed it and so far it works great. Here is where the How-To is located: http://fedoranews.org/blog/?p=573 . I still use up2date, yum and apt for the distribution updates, but for extras, this app seems to have it all.