Thread: Fedora based MeeGo = NoGo!
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nightfire is offline nightfire
2010-02-15 , 22:38
Posts: 310 | Thanked: 383 times | Joined on Jan 2010
#52
Originally Posted by ewan View Post
OK; if you haven't used yum you clearly haven't used a Redhat/Fedora type system in quite a few years. I've used, and continue to use, both and really there is very little substantial difference between RPM and deb formats, between the RPM and dpkg tools, and between the yum and apt repository/dependency handlers. There are little advantages and disadvantages to each, but nothing dramatic.

If you've got specific questions or concerns, what are they? I'm pretty sure those of us with more recent experience of RPM systems will be able to answer them.
You're right.. most of the systems I admin are using RHEL4.

Ok, does the modern RPM install/removal process allow for interactivity? IE. can a package install query the user? I understand the original philosophy was to permit unattended installation, but is interactivity now possible?

If interactivity is supported, are multiple verbosity levels? Nokia could set the package verbosity to LOW from the factory, but later allow it to be changed by the user; this would allow packages to use varying levels of defaults. It would be great if a GPS navigator asked "prefer offline mode?" from the factory, but could ask questions about assisted GPS daemons, map locations, etc. for users with their verbosity set to high.

Does it handle alternatives? If you install two packages which both offer the same binary, does the system handle which one is active through symbolic linking?

Can multiple packages provide the same facility? Can other packages depend on that facility (ie. multiple JVMs offer "java" and one is enough to satisfy the dependency)?

Does it allow advanced dependency overrides in the case of complex upgrades (ie. gracefully handling package cross-dependencies)?

APT's dist-upgrade is famous for being extremely robust and reliable between major Debian releases (though mostly due to the efforts of maintainers). Does Fedora's yum distribution upgrade work well?

Does yum/RPM support package triggers?
Last edited by nightfire; 2010-02-15 at 22:48.
 

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