I just want to ask before I just start doing. I run Debian on the desktop and server, and the three primary ways to install apps are

• apt-get
• aptitude
• synaptic (gui)

These are at a point where they all consult the same database so they play nicely together. However, I have run into a couple of cases on the N900 which have me wondering if mixing the app manager and apt-get are a good thing.

I wanted to install rsync on the N900. I first went to the app manager, and it wasn't available. The only things listed were librsync1 and librsync-dev. I thought rsync and grsync were available as well, but I don't see them...In any case, on the command line, apt-cache search rsync gives me rsync, grsync, librsync1 librsync-dev rdiff and duplicity.

The other thing is that the app manager currently has no updates available, however, apt-get upgrade gives me over 20 packages (plus 3 or 4 held back). About half are python or python-related, several avahi packages, fcam-drivers, libhildon-extras1 and the like.

Obviously, I don't want to break the device, and since it is so heavily python based, an ill-advised upgrade of 10 or so python packages makes me think thats exactly what may happen.

I know when I had my N810, they said that the app manager was obfuscated to not show "dangerous" packages. Is this the same case? Is it safe to do an apt-get upgrade? And to install packages from the command line? Or will this confuse the app manager?

Thanks,
--vr