[SLUG] Fwd: What are apt-get/dpkg/dselect? [Was: apt-get weirdness lately]

[Stewart <stewart@xxxxxxxxx>]

thanks for the subject change - i should've done that myself. :)

and thanks to all who replied, it's a bit clearer now.

i was getting a bit mystified because 'apt-get install php' wasn't 
working for me, where i thought the package name was a sort of wildcard 
search, it doesn't seem to be. i fired up dselect and scrolled through 
reams of packages and found the php ones (and a bunch of other stuff i 
want) and it's downloading now as i type. (looks like i should've said 
apt-get install php4...)

yes indeedy, it's a very neat system.

next i get to wrestle with upgrading the kernel because i forgot about 
that part post-install - but i think i'll ring the debhead guy i know 
and get him to explain it all again to me rather than bothering the 
list..

..S.

On Thursday, March 27, 2003, at 02:13 PM, Jeff Waugh wrote:

> <quote who="Stewart">
>
> > now i'm turning into a debhead, can someone 'please explain' exactly 
> > what
> > the difference between apt-get/dpkg/dselect is and how they work 
> > together?
> > to my mind three commands aint as 'simple elegance' as one rpm one. 
> > :-)
>
> Okay:
>
>   dpkg:
>
>     Basic package management functions such as install/remove/replace, 
> etc.
>     At the same level as rpm(1) in the package management stack. 
> Nothing
>     much to write home about; at this level, the interesting 
> differences are
>     in the actual deb/rpm file formats.
>
>   apt-get:
>
>     Basic network-aware package installation/management tool which 
> handles
>     dependencies and OS-integration. CLI-based, it is basically on the 
> same
>     level as urpmi and up2date, but is arguably more useful (lots of 
> other
>     features that make it 'nice').
>
>   dselect:
>
>     An attempt to provide a sensible user interface (ncurses-based) to
>     package management on apt-based systems.
>
>   apititude:
>
>     Another attempt to provide a sensible user interface 
> (ncurses-based) to
>     package mangement on apt-based systems.
>
> There are lots of other packages that provide what dselect and 
> aptitude are
> designed to, such as synaptic, aptivate, etc., etc... But I don't think
> anyone has managed to find the right combination of simplicity and 
> usability
> to steal me away from apt-get. Sad, but true.
>
> - Jeff
>
> --
>    "I think hot Chinese girls who kick ass are the wave of the future, 
> as
>                       far as films go." - Cody Russell