[vox-tech] base-config is gone

[Bill Kendrick]

On Mon, Feb 06, 2006 at 08:59:20AM -0800, Bob Scofield wrote:
> I've been having trouble lately with a couple of my Debian sources; U.C.S.C. 
> and the University of Arizona.  So I decided to delete them with vi, and then
> add a couple of more with base-config.

I'm not directly familiar with base-config, though I've no doubt used it
in the past. :^)

> 
> But base-config is gone.  I've done some Googling and learned that base-config 
> was taken out of Sid.  I'm using testing, but it's just not here.

On my system, I see that there's a "base-config" package... and that I
even have config. files lying around from when it was installed.
The description says:

  Description: Debian base system configurator (transitional version)
  This package is an empty package that is no longer used. It can be
  removed with no ill effects.

No big surprise, based on what you said above.  One thing I did notice,
though:

  Conflicts: tasksel (< 2.25)

This probably means that "tasksel" is the replacement.  Its description
begins: "Tool for selecting tasks for installation on Debian system".

Perhaps this is what you want...?


> So now I have to publicly admit that I do not know how to add sources without
> using base-config.

If by 'sources', you mean the locations from which tools like 'apt-get',
'deselect' and 'aptitude' fetch packages and package info?
Honestly, I've always done this by hand... manually editing the text
file:  /etc/apt/sources.list

That's the way I learned it. :^)  I'm guessing that some of the GUI
apt tools out there (like Adept?) might provide an interface to do the
same (upon providing the root password).  Not sure for certain, though!


>  So here are three questions:
> 
> 1)  Is there an easy way to add sources without base-config?

It'll come as no surprised, based on what I said above, that I suggest
the following  ;^)

  * Check out tasksel...?  (On my system, I see no way of adding sources, tho.)
  * Edit /etc/apt/sources.list manually...?  Or is that 'easy' enough fer ya?


> 2)  How many sources do people think one needs?  I've got two right now.  Is 
> there a reason for 3 or 4?

It depends on what you're doing and what you need.  For example, along
with 'unstable', I appear to have listings for 'stable' and 'testing'.

Additionally, I still seem to have KDE 3.5.0-for-testing, but it's no doubt
unused since KDE 3.5 is in unstable (Sid) now.

I also have:

  # Randall Donald's prebuilt nvidia kernel modules
  deb http://people.debian.org/~rdonald/nvidia modules-unstable/i386/

...so I can get 3D going on my el-cheapo NVidia PCI video card[1]...

as well as some "marillate" sources for Mplayer and friends, and packages
of some proprietary (but free) apps, such as RealPlayer and Acrocread.[2]



> 3)  Is there a tool  available for doing the other things base-config used to
> do (but which I can't remember)?

I can't remember what base-config did.  I have a hunch tasksel doesn't do
everything base-config did, but I'm not familiar enough to know for sure.
I'll leave it up to a Google search and/or other LUGOD readers to get you
your answer! :^)

Good luck!

[1] Don't ask why it's PCI.  I'm a dumbass! :^(
[2] Though mplayer and KDEs PDF apps suit me just fine 99.9% of the time!

-- 
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