how work the sources.list in Knoppix??

I mind, when i install knoppix in the hard disk I go to the console and go with a ~#apt-get update and thats all??

What package i get whit the default sources.list? take pakages of stable-testing or unstable, i make this question because the sources by default in knoppix have all levels of debian, i mind stable-testing and unstable!! so, what package i download when download something??

And... I must delete the lines of the level i don't gonna use?? i mind, if I want use only the latest packages, i must delete the lines of "stable and testing?? that the way??

I don't understand that very well, some can helpme please??

PD: SOrry for my poor english... i'm watting for yours answers... THANK YOU!!

Zlibre,

First of all, Welcome to the Wonderful World of Debian/Linux/GNU...

Knoppix is, what a lot of people like to say, the "bleeding edge", it is "based" on Debian's "unstable" version, or its nicname: Sid, from what I know...

Debian, goes through three phases of production, Unstable, Testing, and lastly, Stable - hence, this is why you have three "types" of entries in your /etc/apt/sources.list

When Debian is working on a program, or "package", it starts out in unstable, or what I like to call it, BETA... Debian, in there infinate wisdom, then decides at some time, to move it to a testing catagory... and then after the testing part, it moves into a stable catagory...

Here is why you might want to keep all three of these "catagories" in your sources.list -=- if, lets say, Debian wants to produce a "sound player", they come up with the name, and the program behind it, and it becomes unstable, in a catagory, for people to apt-get it with... this program then moves to testing, and while still in testing, someone comes up with a revision change on it... you would then have a pre-version in testing, AND, a new version of it in unstable... NOW, Debian moves the first version of this sound player from testing to stable, moves the new version into testing, and low-and-behond, someone else comes up with a newer version, which gets moved to unstable...

In the above example, here is what we got:

Sound Player:
v1.0 = stable
v1.1 = testing
v1.2 = unstable

Which version would you want to install??? apt-get, when you tell it to install something, you can either "pick" which version you want, either by its catagory, or by its version - but only if you have all three catagories in your sources.list - if all you have is stable, you would only get the stable version, if you have all three, apt-get will default to the NEWEST version it can find, thus, it would be unstable...

A final note here, sometimes a package may not exist in any of these catagories, or may not go to the higher catagory, for some unknown reason. Thus, maybe this Sound Player may never get to be testing, or stable, and may only exist in the unstable version. Again, if you keep all three of these catagories in your sources.list, you can ensure that you can get whatever is out in the world...

One last thing, speaking of above, for each of these catagories; stable, testing, and unstable, you can also get the "source code" for the same package - if you look in your sources.list file, you will find these kinds of entries...

deb http://ftp.de.debian.org/pub/debian stable main contrib non-free
deb-src http://ftp.de.debian.org/pub/debian stable main contrib non-free
deb http://ftp.de.debian.org/pub/debian-non-US stable/non-US main contrib non-free
deb-src http://ftp.de.debian.org/pub/debian-non-US stable/non-US main contrib non-free

the entries with -src on them are for downloading the "source code" as well... If you don't plan on compiling your own programs or packages, you can always place a # in front of those lines - it can save time during installing, and downloading...

Apt-Get 101:

you can always run man apt-get to read the manual, it has LOTS of options, other than update...

apt-get update
apt-get upgrade
apt-get [-u] install [package-name] [...]
apt-cache search [search-text]
apt-cache policy [package-name]
apt-cache show [package-name]

WHERE:
[package-name] is the name of the package, either to examine, or install...
[search-text] is a one-word text, or a text line between quotes, that you want to search for... e.g. "games" - would use the word games - as in the case of apt-cache search games - would list, or display, any packages that either have the word "games" in the package name, or the word "games" in its description...

Update refreshes your "local" database on what "packages" are out in the world, or at least the ones that are on the sites you have in your sources.list file...

Upgrade will attempt to upgrade all the "packages" that you have already installed on your system. i.e. if new versions exist, they will be "upgraded" to the newer versions...

Install is used to install a package that you want, see below for the cache search function...

apt-cache functions:
Search is used to search for packages that you want to examine, or possibly install...

Policy is used to determine which packages may be installed already, and even which version, and if other "candidates", or newer versions exist...

Show is used to display what dependancies, background information, or even other programs and libraries are included with that package...

Hope this helps,
Ms. Cuddles

thats the answer was wanted!! thanks, just have two more questions of your reply:

1°You say: "If you don't plan on compiling your own programs or packages, you can always place a # in front of those lines - it can save time during installing, and downloading...

deb-src is in case i want "compile" for my self?? if I want go to the sources and manually compile it?? thats is??. If I just wanna install and do not do that, just comment (#) the deb-src lines??

2°The installation of knoppix 3.4 include packages of Unstable??.then, is not recommendable comment (#) the entries for "unstable"?

Thanks man, relly !!

PD: I'm from south america and can you tell me, how is my english in a scale of 1 to 7... jejjje just for know!!

T H A N K S !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Zlibre

thats the answer was wanted!! thanks, just have two more questions of your reply:

1°You say: "If you don't plan on compiling your own programs or packages, you can always place a # in front of those lines - it can save time during installing, and downloading...

deb-src is in case i want "compile" for my self?? if I want go to the sources and manually compile it?? thats is??. If I just wanna install and do not do that, just comment (#) the deb-src lines??

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Yes... you can comment out any of the "-src" lines, if you don't plan on doing any source compiling... Most of the time, you don't need the source for something, and, if you ever do, just uncomment the -src lines, do a apt-get update, and your set...

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Zlibre

2°The installation of knoppix 3.4 include packages of Unstable??.then, is not recommendable comment (#) the entries for "unstable"?

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You can, then the only packages you will be able to "apt-get" will be in testing or stable - this limitation will eventually "weed out" the unstable parts that come within Knoppix...

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Zlibre

Thanks man, relly !!

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No problem, as I always say, glad I could help...

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Zlibre

PD: I'm from south america and can you tell me, how is my english in a scale of 1 to 7... jejjje just for know!!

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I may not be the best to judge with - considering I relate with "nerds" and "geeks", and can talk about computers till even the most devote addict can fall asleep... But, if it counts, not bad, some of it could be that I speak, read, and write, typonesse, and am a frequent in chat rooms, IMHO, around a 5...

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Zlibre

T H A N K S !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Again, your welcome, and glad I could help,
Ms. Cuddles

Thanks!!!