[SGVLUG] RPM hell -- why not just change to debian?

[Dustin]

On Tue, 22 Nov 2005, Emerson, Tom wrote:

> That's fine, execpt there was no package to replace "locate" --
> they simply stopped installing it as "part of a typical install".

This sort of unfriendly thing is why I don't bother with "friendly" 
distros.  Generally the "unfriendly" ones never bite me like that.

> > My second install from back in 1999 is still 
> > running today and 

> I haven't been as bold with "updates" -- I think most of the time
> I've simply done a full install and manually select packages I
> think I'd like to see or use [and as I mentioned earlier, forget
> that I was going to try them out...]

My observation is that a *much* smaller percentage of RPM-based distro 
users try an upgrade relative to Debian.  You can always find one guy who 
upgrades, but most don't.

I can't say if this is really related to the relative excellence of the
package managers or what exactly might be the relevant issue/feature/bug,
but I'm inclined to think it is.  At the least, a much larger percentage
of Debian users trust their package manager than RPM users trust theirs.

Dustin