KPacketKit

[P Kapat]

On Thu, Apr 30, 2009 at 4:18 PM, Brian Norman Wootton
<Brian.Meg at btinternet.com> wrote:
> DB> > Install Synaptic. Kpackagekit is a waste of disk space.
> DB>
> DB> But synaptic is a _bigger_ waste, as it pulls in so much of Gnome...
> DB>  :-)
>
> Kpackagekit looks to be pretty incomplete (e.g. there is a details
> button that is always greyed out). Adept is available for Jaunty, though
> that too is a pale imitation of the KDE3 version (inconsistent behaviour
> of the search bing the biggest problem).
>
> As of right now none of the package manager choices is altogether
> satisfactory (IMHO), but if you have Kpackagekit, adept and aptitude
> (along of course with apt-get at the command line) one of them will do
> most things.
>
> Thanks fellers.
>  After footling about with apt-get, dpkg, et al, I finally found out that KPackageKit was
> hung up trying to install a java plugin for firefox which  depended on
> ia32-sun-java6-bin-6-13-1-amd64.deb. Kpack* had previously refused to install ia32* saying
> it was not an official package. But, but, but.....every time I fired up KPack* afterwards
> it kept trying to install the firefox jre plugin and hanging forever looking for sun-java6-bin
> which it had refused to install. I couldn't discover how to tell the 'installation system'
> to forget this java plugin so I swore loud and long and re-installed Jaunty, a sledge-hammer
> to crack a nut, I know, but it worked. I suggest that any-one with Jaunty on an AMD64
> avoid ia32-sun-java6-bin-6-13-1-amd64.deb like the plague.
> brian

As someone noted, the need of any user input during a package
installation process will result in an error in KpackageKit. I have
also seen it give "time out" errors! It is indeed a very dissapointing
state of affairs, but a move in the "right direction!"

As far as my memory goes, there was never a half-as-decent (as
Synaptic) native GUI package manager for KDE (3 & 4). Things started
out with kpackage, then carried on by adept, and now KpackageKit.
Longtime ago, I had read somewhere that Adept developer had grown
frustrated and given up development due to the decision made by
Kubuntu developers to move to KpackageKit.

Ok, so kubuntu is looking forward to a "unified" solution for the
future. Then, why include such a half-baked piece of software as part
of the official distribution (LTS/non-LTS)? Be bold enough to say WE
DO NOT HAVE ANY GUI PACKAGE MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE WHICH WORKS, SO PLEASE
USE apt-get OR aptitude FROM A KONSOLE. IF YOU WANT GROW BALD THEN
GIVE THE EXISTING SOFTWARES A TRY! IF YOU ARE AFRAID TO USE KONSOLE,
KINDLY KONSIDER MOVING TO SUSE OR MANDRIVA!

I do understand that every software goes through a rough development
phase and hence not at all complaining at the individual developers.
Rather, my beef is towards the administrative decision to jump around
nascent softwares without giving anyone a chance to stabilize. By the
time KpackageKit matures (I hope it does!), say by 10.04, Kubuntu will
see a new software, superpaKer, and the whole process starts again....
Ok, so folks start pointing finger at policykit? Fine, it feels good
to shrug off!

-- 
Regards
PK
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