irlandes
12-14-2009, 11:56 AM
I decided to try CentOs, because I like the thought of a distro which does not drop support before my computer gives up the ghost. A good Linux distro can keep on doing most of the basic needs for someone like me, and I hate building up a whole new distro with everything I want exactly as I want it.
I think I started with 5.1 or 5.2, not sure now, and have updated it to the latest a couple times.
The killer problem is when I do updates, I inevitably get an unresolved dependency error message which means no updates on those packages, and I have to invoke the YUM --skip-broken option. The first time I looked and actually the stated dependencies were there, but the data base must be screwed or something. I never did find out why it thought they weren't there. And, yes, that time I also ran the update db command, though I can't remember it off-hand now.
And, no matter how long I waited, they never were fixed, until the next major version came online. And, yesterday, I encountered the same problem, and I think with the same packages. I think Gwenview and exiv or something like that. Makes me wonder if it is a maintainer problem on those packages?
I have tried to input bug reports, not just on CentOs, but seems like I always get an automatic rejection for incomplete data in the bug report, and don't know why. So, I don't try any more. Frankly, it is easier to just change distros. And, though Kubuntu also drops support after while, I sure don't encounter unresolved dependencies when I update.
Yesterday, I wanted to watch a DVD video. I tried CentOs, and for some reason neither VLC nor Xine would run the DVD. So, I rebooted to Kubuntu 6.10 which has been off support for a very long time, and the DVD ran perfectly.
Please do not take this as a rant against CentOs, just a statement of one reason why a person sometimes drops a distro that he thought he would like. I think it is tacky to flame people who provide free stuff just because they don't do it perfectly.
I may, just out of curiosity, leave CentOs there for a while, just to see what I can and cannot do with it, since this is a secondary computer. If I could get it to play DVD's that would be a plus. But, I probably will be building up another distro instead of putting a lot of work into CentOs.
And, it is a shame. Those guys work too hard on the project.
Don't misunderstand me. Gwenview in Kutuntu 9.10, which I have on my good computer, has a bug in it, the crop function, which I use, does not make visible the corners of the changeable crop box, they have written a fix, but have not put it in as an update, so I have to use GIMP. They tell me I can fiddle around with the cursor and it can find the markers, but it is not comfortable for me. So, Kubuntu is not without fault.
I may try MINT on another partition on my good computer. I have it on a flash and it is pleasant to work with.
I had Kubuntu 9.04 working perfectly to suit me, in every way I could find. And the mother board on that machine failed one night in Duson LA in a motel. Won't even light the little power light, and another charger made no difference. Out of warranty, and the replacement mother board for a $450 laptop costs nearly $800. I tried the HD in a dock, and it boots but it is very hard to change NIC's once it is installed, so I couldn't get it working online in the time I had to play.
I am hoping LTS 10.04 is good.
I think I started with 5.1 or 5.2, not sure now, and have updated it to the latest a couple times.
The killer problem is when I do updates, I inevitably get an unresolved dependency error message which means no updates on those packages, and I have to invoke the YUM --skip-broken option. The first time I looked and actually the stated dependencies were there, but the data base must be screwed or something. I never did find out why it thought they weren't there. And, yes, that time I also ran the update db command, though I can't remember it off-hand now.
And, no matter how long I waited, they never were fixed, until the next major version came online. And, yesterday, I encountered the same problem, and I think with the same packages. I think Gwenview and exiv or something like that. Makes me wonder if it is a maintainer problem on those packages?
I have tried to input bug reports, not just on CentOs, but seems like I always get an automatic rejection for incomplete data in the bug report, and don't know why. So, I don't try any more. Frankly, it is easier to just change distros. And, though Kubuntu also drops support after while, I sure don't encounter unresolved dependencies when I update.
Yesterday, I wanted to watch a DVD video. I tried CentOs, and for some reason neither VLC nor Xine would run the DVD. So, I rebooted to Kubuntu 6.10 which has been off support for a very long time, and the DVD ran perfectly.
Please do not take this as a rant against CentOs, just a statement of one reason why a person sometimes drops a distro that he thought he would like. I think it is tacky to flame people who provide free stuff just because they don't do it perfectly.
I may, just out of curiosity, leave CentOs there for a while, just to see what I can and cannot do with it, since this is a secondary computer. If I could get it to play DVD's that would be a plus. But, I probably will be building up another distro instead of putting a lot of work into CentOs.
And, it is a shame. Those guys work too hard on the project.
Don't misunderstand me. Gwenview in Kutuntu 9.10, which I have on my good computer, has a bug in it, the crop function, which I use, does not make visible the corners of the changeable crop box, they have written a fix, but have not put it in as an update, so I have to use GIMP. They tell me I can fiddle around with the cursor and it can find the markers, but it is not comfortable for me. So, Kubuntu is not without fault.
I may try MINT on another partition on my good computer. I have it on a flash and it is pleasant to work with.
I had Kubuntu 9.04 working perfectly to suit me, in every way I could find. And the mother board on that machine failed one night in Duson LA in a motel. Won't even light the little power light, and another charger made no difference. Out of warranty, and the replacement mother board for a $450 laptop costs nearly $800. I tried the HD in a dock, and it boots but it is very hard to change NIC's once it is installed, so I couldn't get it working online in the time I had to play.
I am hoping LTS 10.04 is good.