As a fairly new newbie, I currently don't have enough knowledge and, I admit
I am lazy, and not enough will power to go out and learn how to install
individual packages.  I like to find a package and install it with no
effort.  With these automated packages, RPM will tell you if you need to
install/upgrade dependent packages. When you uninstall the package, it will
supposedly remove dependent packages that are no longer in use.  With
Debian, it will install dependant packages for you, if they are available.  

The down side to this automation is that you don't learn more about your
system and how it works and I understand the concern about opening the
system to security risk.  

I just had to add my two cents in. 

John D. Miller
Dain Rauscher
Application Programming

Voice: (612) 547-7573
Email:  jmiller2 at dainrauscher.com


-----Original Message-----
From: Timothy Houck [mailto:thouck at thouck.com]
Sent: Thursday, October 26, 2000 1:28 PM
To: tclug-list at mn-linux.org
Subject: Re: [TCLUG:23152] Installing Red Hat


Andy,

I couldn't help but grimace at your post.  No offense.

With such a system, I can see a whole new crop of cracker attacks as a
result of such ever-user-friendly, "plug-and-play"ish packages.  IMHO,
there is a point at which a system automates itself beyond a safe point --
trying to be more friendly to inexperienced (lazy? maybe) users.  This is
the whole reason we have ridiculous things like macro viruses.

In contrast, I would encourage the download and compilation of the
sources.  Aside from what's in the compiler itself, this is total
control.  As slick as debs or rpms are, I can't help but feel as though
they're sloppy and a "lazy" method for running (supposedly) trusted
executables.

Just my two cents... looking forward to a discussion.

Timothy  

On Thu, 26 Oct 2000, Andy Zbikowski wrote:

> aren't much alike in reality. With Debain, you should be able to, in
theory,
> install every package [except for those that conflict, exim and sendmail
> can't be installed at the same time for example] and everything you
install
> will work, and will work to the extent the package maintainer has
configured
> it to work out fo the box. Try that with Red Hat. =)

---------------------------------------------------------------------
Timothy Houck
thouck at thouck.com
www.thouck.com


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