[ydl-gen] yum conf mess

[Derick Centeno]

I'm glad you found the archives. Keep in mind that there are many 
mirrors for each of the versions of YDL but what works best is staying 
within the one version you use. Think of this as a problem of having a 
blanket. One whole blanket of one type can useful for many years. 
However, if you start to patch up the blanket with items foreign to how 
it was constructed in the first place, it starts to look and act a bit 
messed up.

So stay within the version which works best with the system you have. If 
you intend to move up beyond this version, it is best to upgrade 
completely to an entirely new version of YDL because whatever current 
packages and software exist are primed to work with the latest offerings 
available and the programming and partitioning structures and many other 
things have radically changed. As a result it is not at all clear that 
staying with an old version of YDL and mixing that with whatever current 
programs are available is a good idea.

Regarding xine, the mirrors which I used then do work for YDL 4.1; as 
does the software. So as long as yum.conf is pointing at the right 
mirrors and if xine for YDL 4.1 happens to reside there, then it is 
there for YDL 4.1. However, unless you know how to read directories the 
way most persons can read newpapers, it may not be easy to discover 
whether that is so to your satisfaction before you use my version of 
yum.conf. If your only purpose is to search for xine for that version of 
YDL, you will have to acquire this skill, because I cannot guarantee 
that xine will be there.

A quick way to develop this skill... since you have to do it anyway, 
sooner or later,.. is to use yum.conf itself as a guide.
The term baseurl is used as a variable, the same way y= a+b+c, was used.
Think of "a" as the identity of the server. Whatever follows afterwards 
are the directories within that server.
You can try this out on your own by visiting each server . Choose any of 
the servers (from the mirrors listed at TSS) and place its name into 
your favorite browser's URL. Then one by one see what happens when you 
add another directory to the URL as it is expressed.

For instance, let's look at the first one within my yum.conf file. Enter 
the whole server name complete with directories (start from http) and 
place it into the URL and just go there. See what happens if you remove 
the last directory. Then the one before that. You will discover that you 
are one by one returning to the server's top level or top directory 
tree. Go back down the same tree. You might discover other branches of 
YDL earlier versions. Notice that the branch to them is different from 
the branch of the directory tree leading to 4.1. If you have the time, 
you may discover for yourself under the directory extras, whether xine 
is there at all, just by looking for it yourself.

Now if you do find it, keep in mind that that software is optimized for 
that version of YDL. A more current version may act completely 
differently because it is expecting a suite of tools which are current 
and for which YDL 4.1 was not designed. Similarly for each earlier 
version. Current versions of software are less likely to be adaptable or 
useable for even earlier versions of YDL. This, in general, is similarly 
true for each Linux distribution.

It is easy to change distributions, but within each distribution is that 
range of a release which one must stay with as long as one is also 
holding onto a certain type of hardware. No one would think of using a 
transistor from a 1970's portable radio to replace a part in in any 
modern computer; the same insight needs to be applied with software. Of 
course, Linux can allow for the extension of many kinds of hardware, 
however we each must consider the versions we are using and what we want 
to do with the hardware we have.

As always, best wishes with your endeavors.
Derick.
------------------------------------------------------------------------

rev rob wrote:
> Derick,
>    I found your yum conf. file in the YDL archives:
> ====
>   
>>>>>> --Norberto Quintanar[main]
>>>>>>             
>>> cachedir=/var/cache/yum
>>> debuglevel=2
>>> logfile=/var/log/yum.log
>>> pkgpolicy=newest
>>> distroverpkg=yellowdog-release
>>> tolerant=1
>>> exactarch=1
>>> obsoletes=1
>>>
>>> [base]
>>> name=Yellow Dog Linux 4.1 Base
>>> baseurl=http://ftp.yellowdoglinux.com/pub/yellowdog/yum/4.1/base/
>>> baseurl=http://ydl.osuosl.org/yum/4.1/base/
>>> #baseurl=http://mirror.ac.uk/mirror/ftp.yellowdoglinux.com/yum/4.1/
>>> base/
>>>
>>> [updates]
>>> name=Yellow Dog Linux 4.1 Updates
>>> baseurl=http://ftp.yellowdoglinux.com/pub/yellowdog/yum/4.1/update/
>>> baseurl=http://ydl.osuosl.org/yum/4.1/updates/
>>> #baseurl=http://mirror.ac.uk/mirror/ftp.yellowdoglinux.com/yum/4.1/
>>> updates/
>>>
>>> [extras]
>>> name=Yellow Dog Linux 4.1 Extras
>>> baseurl=http://ftp.yellowdoglinux.com/pub/yellowdog/yum/4.1/extras/
>>> baseurl=http://ydl.osuosl.org/yum/4.1/extras/
>>> #baseurl=http://http:mirror.ac.uk/mirror/ftp.yellowdoglinux.com/yum/
>>> 4.1/extras/
>>>
>>> [update]
>>> name=Yellow Dog Linux 4.1 Update
>>> baseurl=http://ydl.osuosl.org/yum/4.1/update/
>>> #baseurl=http://mirror.ac.uk/mirror/ftp.yellowdoglinux.com/yum/4.1/
>>> update/
>>>       
>
> Does this point me to where I can get and install Xine?
>
>   
>