when to accept Update Manager available updates

[Daniel Carrera]

Default User wrote:
> anyway the fundamental question is this: does Update Manager do
> dependency checking and only offer updates appropriate for a the user's
> particular hardware/software setup, or does it just blindly offer every
> new Ubuntu update for any setup, to every computer has update mamager
> enabled?  and it that is the case, how am i to know which updates to
> accept? (i am not a computer scientist).

The Update Manager only gives you updates for packages that are already 
installed in your system. In that way, the updates are "customised" for 
your setup.

I am surpised that the update manager gave you a glibc optimised for 686 
if you don't have 686. Many one of the gurus here can comment.

> so would someone please let me know when to use update manager, when not
> to, and how to know the difference?  

If you had asked this question yesterday I would have said "always 
accept the update", but your recent experience makes me hesitate. I am 
reasonably proficient with Ubuntu and I'm surprised to hear your 
experience. All I can suggest is that Ubuntu thought you had a 686 
system fom the beginning.

BTW, I have no idea whether running glibc-686 on an AMD k6 will cause 
Firefox to crash. Maybe someone in the know can comment.

Cheers,
Daniel.
-- 
      /\/`) http://opendocumentfellowship.org
     /\/_/
    /\/_/   A life? Sounds great!
    \/_/    Do you know where I could download one?
    /