how do i use apt-get

[Chanchao]

Hello Ante,

Wednesday, June 29, 2005, 11:58:35 AM, you wrote:

AK> On Wed, 2005-06-29 at 10:09 +0700, Chanchao wrote:

>> Just imagine how much more sense it would make if it wasn't called
>> 'Synaptic Package Manager' but 'Get or remove programs'.

AK> Windows way of thinking :)

Not really. Windows calls it 'Add or remove programs'. I opted for
'Get or remove progtams'. "getting" software from a main repository is
Ubuntu way of thinking, going to a shop, buying and adding and
registering the software is windows. :)

AK> There is a simple reason why it isn't called Get or remove programs. In
AK> Windows, you have only one app that does that job, but in Ubuntu you
AK> have, at least 4 such apps; synaptic, kynaptic, aptitude, dselect,
AK> gnome-apt, etc... And in Linux apps aren't called by function.

Would be nice if they were though. How many different graphical
installers does an operating system really need? I'm perfectly happy
with Ubuntu picking the one they consider the most appropriate, and
then referring to it by what it does.

AK> We should stop thinking that Ubuntu is bad copy of Windows, but a very
AK> good operating system. Demanding Windows like interface, windows like
AK> behaviuor, windows like menu, etc. will just produce bad copy of
AK> Windowse. As every other copy, it will fail and disapper evenutally.
AK> Instead of that, why not try thinking in Gnome/KDE/Linux way?

It's not about Windows at all.. Yes it seems Windows has a control
panel for adding or removing software. They even named it wrong
because who actually uses it to ADD software? It's mostly used to
remove it. But anyway, that's of no concern. The thing that Ubuntu
included to get and remove software I think should be called by what
it does.

Actually, all things in the system administration menu / preferences
meny should be called by what they do, and mostly they are. Synaptic
is just a bit of an exception.

There's nothing "windows" about giving things a name based on what
they are. I think we all agree an effort is needed to make Linux
(Ubuntu) less cryptic. New users can't be expected to know what
'Synaptic' is for, or even what a 'package' is and why these should be
'managed' or even what this 'managing' process involves. Call the
thing "Get more programs!" I say. :)

Cheers,
Chanchao