Software Manager, Install Disks and Update Sites

[Counterspy]

I was more than a liitle surprised when I finally got around to trying the features of Software Manager. The Remove Software option seems to work as it says but the Install Software is fraught with gotchas.

 

The first is that you will discover that some programs chosen in install (if you used Expert mode) did not get installed. The second is that if you check off a large number of files to be added, the program will remove software in order to install new the new programs. When it hits the first program with unmet dependencies, it bails out of the whole process leaving you without the programs it removed and depending on what it removed, you may need to reinstall. The solution to this is to only choose programs to be added in small chunks. This is particularly the case when the update sites have been chosen and are listed along side those on the install disks. It is here where program removal is most likely, and you should note that both the newer version from the update site is listed along side the original on the distribution disks.

 

The next is that there are programs on your distribution disks that many have had to go looking for which will only be seen if you do not choose Mandrakesofts' ridiculous listing full of duplicates and go for a flat alphabetical list instead. Being interested in partitioning, I found that both gpart and parted were there. There were others as well that were not listed in the Mandrakesoft list.

 

The last gem is that the list does not always remove software after you have checked it and it has been installed. The cute little message "Should this really be happening at all" will greet you when this happens. Since nothing happens, it is is not a risk but an acknowledgement that whoever wrote the program did not take care enough to make sure installed programs were removed from the list opting for a cute little message instead of finishing the the program properly.

 

I regret not identifying and posting this type of issue months ago, but since I usually do console installs after the first, it never occurred to me to look at the whole contents of the install disks until recently. It won't happen again.

 

Counterspy