[ydl-gen] does yellow dog linux has the packages I need?
Derick Centeno
dcenteno at ydl.net
Wed May 13 10:40:12 MDT 2009
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On Wed, 13 May 2009 10:22:05 +0800
Zhang Weiwu <zhangweiwu at realss.com> wrote:
> Kai Staats wrote:
> > Here is a list of the default, installed apps:
> > http://us.fixstars.com/products/ydl/installed.shtml
> >
> > Here is a search tool for all apps available with the distribution:
> > http://us.fixstars.com/products/ydl/included/
> >
> It says "All Applications Included on the DVD". Is that equal to "all
> apps available with the distribution"? I mean, even including the
> packages available on official package repository on the Inernet?
>
> I have to ask this becaues "All Applications Included on the DVD" has
> a lot of packages missing that I use daily. e.g. most software I keep
> using for managing my web design projects are missing: freemind
> (manage projects), jedit (for HTML/CSS), f-spot (for manage stoke
> photos), unison (for sync websites), tomboy (for taking notes in case
> of customer telephone call). That could be a barrier to use YDL if I
> had to compile these myself or deal with RPM offered by other site
> and fight dependency. _______________________________________________
Hi Zhang:
I've followed your initial query to this list as well as the responses
you received up to the point of Rob Sanders presented his advice.
There appears to be a key point of understanding regarding Linux,
which includes all Linux distributions - not only Yellow Dog Linux,
which you are missing.
Linux is intentionally designed to provide services and facilities to
users interested in certain features. For instance various Linux
distributions focus on serving or running on specific central
processors - some run on Intel and compatibles, others run on the Cell
and PowerPC family of processors, and some others run on a variety of
processor families and a few can only run on one family of processors.
The decision made regarding when a Linux distribution runs on a
specific processor or a variety of processors - as well as what
software is included with that distribution of Linux - is decided upon
by companies and/or groups of volunteers who design that Linux
distribution.
Ubuntu, for instance, is a famous Linux distribution which
specifically chooses to officially support Intel and compatible CPUs -
exclusively. Ubuntu support for PowerPC family processors is
unofficial, which means it is left to users or interested persons to
support it. The approach provided by Fixstars is the reverse, official
support for and the design of Yellow Dog Linux is intended to function
on the PowerPC family of processors which include the Cell -
exclusively, meaning there is no support for Intel and compatible
processors at all.
What all Linux distributions provide however, in addition to their
variety of software packages, as it is also impossible for any one
distribution to address or satisfy every individual on the planet, is
the command line interface (CLI) which allows an individual to modify,
program or redesign any of the software provided within a distribution
or add to the body of software not provided or included by that company
or group of volunteers.
Clearly the CLI can be ignored or used, as the individual chooses.
However, it is a fact that mastering the CLI as a utility provides an
advantage to anyone who chooses to expand their skills. No one knows
everything. However, the opportunity exists for any individual to
expand their skills so that they can pursue and engage upon their
personal projects as they please without waiting for an official
release from any well intentioned company or group of volunteers. The
CLI tool makes this possible.
Regardless what distribution you settle upon keep in mind that the CLI
will be there for you to implement and utilize when you are ready and
choose to do so.
It may interest you that there does exist a program designed some years
ago by Terra Soft Solutions (which Fixstars bought) called yum which
does search and sort out - by itself - the various dependencies
(subprograms) which many larger applications use within the Linux
universe. Yum not only searches and discovers available dependencies
which an application needs - it installs the dependencies and
applications for you correctly within Yellow Dog Linux.
You can read about an earlier version of yum here:
http://us.fixstars.com/support/solutions/ydl_5.0/yum.shtml
What follows below is an execution of yum (from within the CLI in root
mode) so that you can see how yum finds dependencies and installs them
for you:
[root at arakus aguila]# yum install "evol*"
Loading "installonlyn" plugin
Setting up Install Process
Parsing package install arguments
Package evolution - 2.12.3-8.3.ppc already installed and latest version
Resolving Dependencies
- --> Running transaction check
- ---> Package evolution-data-server-doc.ppc 0:1.12.3-6.3 set to be
updated ---> Package evolution-devel.ppc 0:2.12.3-8.3 set to be updated
- ---> Package evolution-remove-duplicates.ppc 0:0.0.2-3.fc6 set to be
updated ---> Package evolution-help.ppc 0:2.12.3-8.3 set to be updated
- --> Processing Dependency: gtkhtml3-devel >= 3.16.0 for package:
evolution-devel --> Restarting Dependency Resolution with new changes.
- --> Running transaction check
- ---> Package gtkhtml3-devel.ppc 0:3.16.3-1 set to be updated
Dependencies Resolved
=============================================================================
Package Arch Version Repository
Size
=============================================================================
Installing: evolution-data-server-doc ppc 1.12.3-6.3
updates 507 k evolution-devel ppc
2.12.3-8.3 updates 220 k evolution-help
ppc 2.12.3-8.3 updates 36 M
evolution-remove-duplicates ppc 0.0.2-3.fc6
extras 16 k Installing for dependencies:
gtkhtml3-devel ppc 3.16.3-1 base
25 k
Transaction Summary
=============================================================================
Install 5 Package(s)
Update 0 Package(s)
Remove 0 Package(s)
Total download size: 37 M
Is this ok [y/N]: n
Exiting on user Command
Complete!
[root at arakus aguila]#
I chose "No" because I don't use Evolution. Of course, if it did
interest me all I would need to do would type "y" for yes and yum would
complete all the essentials and details for me. The software libraries
yum researches can be expanded if one uses the CLI properly.
Good fortune...
Derick.
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