How to tell which version of a application is running

[Xen]

Ralf Mardorf schreef op 16-04-2017 17:37:

> A few days back you mentioned that customisation using Ubuntu is as 
> easy
> as for Arch and now you are giving a bad advice, that even isn't 
> required
> using Ubuntu.

Well actually I never mentioned binaries you know.

I mentioned the re-application of configuration and of course I am happy 
to admit that there is a lot I do not know.

And I know Ubuntu is difficult (or Debian) with "fighting against the 
automatic package system" in that sense.

> If you hold a package, you could run into issues, if a new version 
> should
> be required by an update.

I guess you meant that Arch does not have version dependencies?

(I always wonder why, and if, each application actually does require all 
those updates. Do you get around that in Arch by simply being required 
to always have the latest of everything?)

> sudo dpkg-divert --add --rename --divert /usr/bin/tracker.backup
> /usr/bin/tracker
> 
> Btw. I don't understand such a dirty hack, to install a package and
> seemingly another version to /usr/local without a package. Ok, one 
> reason
> could be to provide tracker libs, for packages from official 
> repositories,
> a pitfall for a release model distro, but not for a rolling release 
> such as
> Arch Linux.
> 
> If the OP should be unable to build Ubuntu packages, the OP should 
> consider
> to test if automatically building a package using "checkinstall" does 
> the job.

That is awesome.

But if you wanted to replace the original package you'd need to give it 
a proper name and version number and that would be all, right?

Then you would have no reason to worry anymore?

So,

after compiling
"checkinstall --pkgname <name> --pkgversion <version>"

might already do the trick in having something that can replace the 
previously installed package?


> 
> However,regarding soname issues that are required by tracker, the OP 
> has
> to rebuild the version in /usr/local manually, if it's required.
> 
> Apart from this, what is true for /usr/bin/ vs /usr/local/bin, is true 
> for
> the libs as well, so to not break apps from official repositories, 
> keeping
> the libs of official repositories is required, so maybe keeping the 
> original
> package and the new version in parallel is a good idea.

Well that was the whole point. Apparently some older version was still 
getting started.

It's hard to tell sometimes what is linked from where, especially with 
these GUI systems and dbus and all, particularly if you don't know 
everything about it.

But in any case my intent was for the problem to first be solved, worry 
comes later ;-).

> Happy customising ;).

You just told us how to do it right? :P.