[TriLUG] Debian operaton.

[Tanner Lovelace]

On Sat, 24 May 2003, Bill Gooding wrote:

> update => Make the current /var package archive list consistent with
> sites listed in the current /etc/apt/sources.list. So apt-get update
> is the only command that looks at your sources.list.  Everytime you
> change sources.list you must run this command.

Actually, any time any package in the repositories referenced
by your sources.list changes you will need to run this command.
Because of that, I always run it before doing any other apt-get commands.
 
> upgrade => Updates the current release on your computer to the most
> recent version of the current release on your computer

Actually, from what I understand, what this does is look at the
the pacakge list created by apt-get update, see if there are
any new packages and if so upgrade them.  If, however, a new
version of a package has a dependency on a package that is not
installed, it will not be upgraded but rather will be held back.
 
> dist-upgrade => Upgrades the current distribution to the next one
> (i.e. 3.0 to 4.0/stable to testing)

This, from what I understand again, does exactly the same thing
as upgrade with the exception that it will install new dependencies.
While this is often used to go from one *distribution* version to
the next, that isn't exactly what it does underneath.

If someone understands this better than I do, please pipe up and
correct me.

Tanner Lovelace
-- 
Tanner Lovelace | lovelace at wayfarer.org | http://wtl.wayfarer.org/
--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--
   He who receives an idea from me, receives instruction himself 
   without lessening mine; as he who lights his taper at mine, 
   receives light without darkening me.  --  Thomas Jefferson

   Those who are willing to sacrifice essential liberties for a little 
   order, will lose both and deserve neither. - Benjamin Franklin