Forever lasting HDD install?

[hotplainrice]

New to knoppix 3.6 and its really cool. I understand that its a mixture of packages from Debian testing/unstable. The topic says it all and its because I'd like to use this knoppix install as my daily system and I'd also like keep this system up to date. What should I do so that when I do 'apt-get update && apt-get dist-upgrade' in the future, the system would still be in one piece.?

[kelmo]

Knoppix is very difficult do upgrade, but if you remove alot beforehand it will help.

[firebyrd10]

New to knoppix 3.6 and its really cool. I understand that its a mixture of packages from Debian testing/unstable. The topic says it all and its because I'd like to use this knoppix install as my daily system and I'd also like keep this system up to date. What should I do so that when I do 'apt-get update && apt-get dist-upgrade' in the future, the system would still be in one piece.?

Not really, because knoppix is based on some unstable programs you may break the system if you do a apt-get upgrade. A pure testing/stable system might suit you better.

[rrfish72]

Kanotix is a good choice.

[hotplainrice]

If I remove those lines relating to unstable in sources.list.. and install packages only ( not upgrade ) from the testing.. so after a year, the programs currently unstable would most prob be in testing.. Then can I consider it safe? ( just an assumption)..

[CrashedAgain]

New to knoppix 3.6 and its really cool. I understand that its a mixture of packages from Debian testing/unstable. The topic says it all and its because I'd like to use this knoppix install as my daily system and I'd also like keep this system up to date. What should I do so that when I do 'apt-get update && apt-get dist-upgrade' in the future, the system would still be in one piece.?

My experience (& others) is that upgrade causes more problems than it's worth. Often it breaks so much stuff it requires a complete reinstall, I have 'successfully' done apt-get upgrade only once & that system still has odd little bugs.
Instead, I just upgrade what I want to by apt-get installing from the source I want...eg 'apt-get -t testing install <program>'

If I remove those lines relating to unstable in sources.list.. and install packages only ( not upgrade ) from the testing.. so after a year, the programs currently unstable would most prob be in testing.. Then can I consider it safe? ( just an assumption)..

There is no need to remove the unstable sources from sources.list, just specify what source you want to use with -t <source>. You may want to use some applications from unstable at some time, unstable doesn't mean they are wacko-destructive applications, just that they haven't been released for very long. Maybe it's just a minor bugfix release of something, it still has to go through the unstable/testing phase before it gets rated stable.

Using applications from unstable is a LOT less risky to your system than doing an apt-get upgrade or apt-get dist upgrade.

It's not that upgrade is going to upgrade to unstable applications, it has no respect for your setups. For instance, before I did an upgrade, I had only three services loading at startup, after upgrade I had about two dozen, some of which were services for stuff I didn't have which caused errors at bootup. This even though I was careful to retain all existing config scripts. When given a choice of 'keep your old setup' or 'upgrade to the package maintainer's setup' NEVER choose the package maintainer's version if you want to recognise your system afterward.

[hotplainrice]

Thanks guys. I guess I'll get a real debian system running.

[Cuddles]

hotplainrice,

Even though CrashedAgain explained, pretty well, I might add, the thoughts behind "unstable", and the whole Debian "Sid" Knoppix, I can think of one more thing to add...

Even if you changed your sources.list file to pick up only installs that are of testing and stable, and then wait a year, or even more, you may still have "parts" that are still in the "unstable" classification... Some packages may never get past unstable, for who-knows what reason, and even though you dont "compound" the issue with new unstable packages, some of them wont go on to the testing or stable... Unstable, stable, and testing are just words, more likely to designate the "processing" of a package through Debian. Each year "woody", or the stable version, gets newer components added to it, from the testing side. Each year "sarge", or the testing version, gets the same thing, but from the unstable side. What is "commonly" known as the "Bleeding-Edge" of the Debian World, is the "sid" version, or the unstable, which is what Knoppix is closely based against, and this distribution is "constantly" being added to...

What gets Knoppix into trouble is the whole "blanket" upgrade, or dist-upgrade. When you get a lot of packages that are packed into the system, that have mixtures of stable, testing, and unstable, and then tell apt-get to upgrade whatever it thinks needs to be upgraded, it can only lead to trouble, ( speaking from experiance here ).

The best way to keep your Knoppix, or "unstable", system, stable, is to upgrade ONLY what you want to upgrade... If a new game comes out, and you already have the previous version, just re-install that ONE package, either through a apt-get install, or through a apt-get --re-install install -=- of that one package, not the whole enchilada, so to speak... its safer, easier, and will prove to keep your system up and running, no matter if it is labeled unstable, or not...

If you want a more "closely" related "Sid" based Debian system, go with Kanotix - it has been stated that it is more "Sid" only than Knoppix - or, if you want the testing version of Debian, go with the "Sarge" install from Debian, if you want the "stable" Debian release, get the "Woody" install from Debian... Lots of choices, and all are just a download away