Re: Debian packages

[David Raleigh Arnold]

On Wednesday 12 February 2003 09:22 pm, Laura Conrad wrote:
>     David> You have no problem because you upgraded.
>
> No, I installed fresh in November.

Then the problem arose after November, or possibly
the files are elsewhere, but they are not in the three
tetex packages.  It is stated in the documentation
that config.ps is not included and has to be
obtained elsewhere, and the tetex-bin deb won't
configure.  On his website the tetex tarball
maintainer explains that it is the (fault?) of someone
upstream, and that nothing was going to happen until
tetex 2.0, which is in unstable.
>
>     David> The cause of my trouble was an attempt to downgrade from
>     David> testing to stable.  That's a one-way trip, the other way.
>
> Yes, so I've heard.  I think about trying testing some time, but not
> on the machine I do real work on.

My confidence in the proposition that "stable" is stable no
longer exists.  Stable means that you can install it, normally,
but it doesn't mean that it works.  (Talking of debian releases) I 
think that in general it is better to leave stable for servers and 
firewalls and stuff like that, except when there are problems with
dependencies on upgraded compilers like Fabio said.
I hope that is unusual and temporary.

I would rather start with building packages and compiling
from tarballs in a situation where something works, but
going back to stable is not an option.  If this doesn't
work it's tarball time, or maybe try apt-build.  :-)
>
>     David> If you would email me a config.ps and texmf.cfg I would
>     David> post them on my website?  Or perhaps they are out there
>     David> somewhere?  (Those may be the only missing files.)
>
> OK.

Oops, yes, texmf.cnf.  The error messages tell me where to put 'em.
Thanks again!  I have another grandson coming along tomorrow  (big baby,
better get him out!)  but I'll be right on this after my all day 
babysitting stint tomorrow is over.
-- 
dra@ or
http://www.openguitar.com
Vive la France!