[Canola] osso-software-version - what is it? why is it being removed
 

this happens when I try to install this canola plugin from 3rd party repository:

/home/user # apt-get install canola2-youtube-plugin
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree... Done
The following extra packages will be installed:
hildon-update-category-database libfreetype6
libglib2.0-0 libhildonfm2 libhildonmime0 libmad0
libogg0 libosso1 libtheora0 mplayer
Recommended packages:
libglib2.0-data
The following packages will be REMOVED:
osso-software-version
The following NEW packages will be installed:
canola2-youtube-plugin libmad0 libogg0 libtheora0
mplayer
The following packages will be upgraded:
hildon-update-category-database libfreetype6
libglib2.0-0 libhildonfm2 libhildonmime0 libosso1
6 upgraded, 5 newly installed, 1 to remove and 141 not upgraded.
Need to get 3546kB of archives.
After unpacking 5668kB of additional disk space will be used.
Do you want to continue [Y/n]?

Re: osso-software-version - what is it? why is it being removed
 

Assuming that's a word-for-word cut'n'paste from the output, then osso-software-version is a 3rd party package designed to install the appropriate osso-software-version-rx*4-unlocked package. It can be safely removed.

If it's NOT an accurate representation of the actual error output (and it actually reads something like "osso-software-version-rx34" or "osso-software-version-rx44"), then somebody with more time should look through your dependencies and ask more probing questions to figure out the source of the problem.

Re: osso-software-version - what is it? why is it being removed
 

Thanks G.A. Yes that was a direct copy/paste from xterm. Most references from an ITT search for that package name pointed to the 40+ page diablo thread.

I'm making an ignorant assumption that the "osso-software-version-rx44" and "osso-software-version-rx34" designate between diablo & chinook? Anyhow, your reply that it's safe to delete gives me enough confidence to carry on and remove it. Thanks again.

Re: osso-software-version - what is it? why is it being removed
 

RX-34 is the designation for the N800 and RX-44 for the N810 (the N810W is RX-48 and the 770 was SU-18).

Re: osso-software-version - what is it? why is it being removed
 

It returns version info. My guess is that if you replace certain files then it is removed to signify that you no longer have a "known version."

Mine was removed when I installed parts of SDL/openGL. After that Fanoushes script that connects to my bluetooth keyboard stopped working. I found that it was calling osso-software-version to determine which version I have and therefore what to do to connect to the keyboard. I just hard-coded osver=os2008.

But are there other things that call it? I hope not!

Re: osso-software-version - what is it? why is it being removed
 

Not quite. It's a meta-package that encompasses everything that makes up "Maemo". Wasn't quite as important in the pre-SSU days, but now it's used to push SSU updates (osso-software-version-rx*4 is updated, and pulls in all the new packages).

Re: osso-software-version - what is it? why is it being removed
 

You are saying that SSU won't work now? Nutty! How can I get it back but keep the libs I need?

Re: osso-software-version - what is it? why is it being removed
 

Don't worry...I unistalled it too because I don't see the point in having gizmo, skype, and rhapsody installers on my device.

In many cases you're still going to be fine without it. It's job is just to help make sure you have the most up to date software. The programs you have installed will most likely update (if) when any updates for them are available. The only time this tends to become a problem is if a new package becomes part of the standard packages that are installed by default on your system. In this case, you would have to go manually install that package. Metapackages only insure that you have installed all of a set of packages. Basically, Nokia if you don't care about having the Nokia pre-determined set of propriotary packages on your system you can get rid of it. The programs you tend to use ought to be just fine. Just run apt-get update and then apt-get dist-upgrade every once in a while to make sure and you'll be fine.

Re: osso-software-version - what is it? why is it being removed
 

The easier way to do this that doesn't nuke system updates is to remove the .desktops from /usr/share/applications/hildon.

Yes, until they don't get the next update and run screaming for help to figure out why.

Please, dear god, don't do that. An apt-get dist-upgrade with the SDK repository (which is added by several .installs, including the one for Fring) equals an unbootable tablet.

There are reasons why we recommend doing and not doing certain things. :)

Re: osso-software-version - what is it? why is it being removed
 

I'm not sure that this is easier. I was already removing other packages for programs I don't use in the default setup. Removing them saved space (not much, but some) for programs I do use. Most users who've figured out the utility of apt-get aren't going to run into problems with this. A newbie, maybe...but I doubt that they're gonna be using the command line for anything. Heck, most have no idea what it is.

You'd still get updates. You just won't get that package updated because it's not on your system anymore. The packages that it depended on that you still have installed should still be detected and then updated as well. I've never run into a debian system that worked otherwise (and I used them for years).

Keeping a repository like this enabled is the problem. Not a dist-upgrade. It should only be enabled for a specific application install (if used at all). Besides, I'd expect that people using this repository would know how to prevent this problem. I've yet to break my device with this command. Anyways, most of the programs that do this are going to uninstall this osso-software-version anyway (as in the case of this user).

While I understand you point of view, I still think my recommendations are quite valid.

Re: osso-software-version - what is it? why is it being removed
 

You wont save space removing KB-sized installers. Some people wont know apt and those people will be in a jam when they do miss an update. You don't know newbies if you think they wont get themselves into trouble following the recommendation off some random website without knowing what they're getting into.

Except if a new package is added, a package removed, or renamed. Which was what happened between 23-14 and 30-2. The result was reboot loops for people who had removed osv.

Obviously, but people rarely follow good advice.

See, but that's just it. A simple user-targeted application like Fring adds it, so you can't expect everybody to understand the danger involved, or ever be aware of it.

You may not have, but there's a very easy way to do it, and there are lots of people who have brought on reboot loops by doing it. Don't expect that everybody has your skills or your own good sense. Most people don't.

Because, I think, you're failing to grasp exactly what sort of creatures users really are (Hint: it's usually neither well-informed nor particularly careful).

On a case-by-case basis, sure, there's nothing wrong with your recommendation. Assuming, of course, that with each case you're sure the person you're making the recommendation to is aware of the risks and repercussions involved, but as a general recommendation it's very dangerous. I'm not inclined to let it past when the end result is going to be more work for me helping people fix the mess that an careless recommendation causes.

So, please, avoid making dangerous general recommendations unless you're willing to step up and provide direct help to everybody that's harmed by them.

Re: osso-software-version - what is it? why is it being removed
 

Since I don't mind helping and am more than willing to help others troubleshoot their broken systems we'll let this discussion serve as fair warning to anyone who follows that advice. Any advice on this website could be dangerous if missused.

I think the real answer is to ask fring to change their policy. These repositories would be available for any upgrade or application install which has dependencies which are included in this repository.

Reread my post and you'll see that I warned about the fact hat new packages might not get installed. Note that I mentioned the drawbacks to removing metapackages such as this one in the original post including the fact that new software might need to be manually installed. Truthfully, packages that would break the system should have dependencies outside of this metapackage (as it's really just a fail safe when used properly) that would cause them to add any new essential packages. So, this is as much of a developer issue as it is a user one, if not truthfully moreso. Aside from mistakes, oversights, and poor judgement by the development team and programmers, I assure you that dist-upgrading to a stable version from a prior stable version should be harmless and no user should be held responsible for any such problem.

Re: osso-software-version - what is it? why is it being removed
 

I've tried, several times, with no response.

Re: osso-software-version - what is it? why is it being removed
 

What is the unlocked version for?

Re: osso-software-version - what is it? why is it being removed
 

Re: osso-software-version - what is it? why is it being removed
 

ok. i 've uninstalled that. how can i get it back without reflashing??

Re: osso-software-version - what is it? why is it being removed
 

Actually Fring .install hasn't included sdk repository for a long time (at least 2 months).

http://www.fring.com/linux/N810.install

Re: osso-software-version - what is it? why is it being removed
 

Sure, but there's a risk that anyone who installed it before then still has the SDK repo enabled, waiting to blow up in their face.