Re: [tlug] NEWBIE: My Way and NOT Their Way?

[CL <az.4tlug@example.com>]

Stephen J. Turnbull wrote:
>  > find something, that has <gasp> examples.
>
> Induction from examples is way overrated as a way to figure out wha
> the spec actually is.
>   
It certainly can be.  I have just re-re-re-installed Debian Etch and 
find that the C++ command structure for untarring works but all of the 
regular subsequent commands don't.

./configure
make
make install

go nowhere, and i am suddenly lost at sea.  I didn't have to produce my 
own makefile in the previous installs  and configure was in the path.  
Either I did something wrong or I failed to install one or more key C++ 
development packages ... or both.  Good thing it's pissing down rain or 
I'd be upset about missing the good weather.  Back when I learned Cobol 
and Jovial there were never more than 256 possible ways to screw up any 
individual command but some days I find myself trying to recite the 
entire list of ways to fix a particular screw up in Debian  and find I 
can't complete the list.
> Debian distros are quite fragile unless you're a dpkg/apt/whatever
> developer.  If you do whatever is considered the thing to do, you'll
> be OK, and there's usually a lot of flexibility, too.  
>   
I seem to have found some of the limits ...

> I think you (ie, "CL") personally would in fact be happier with a
> ports-style distribution like Gentoo.
The first thing I'd have to learn is whether the name is "Gen-too," 
"Jen-too," or "Zhahn-too."  I feel better about being completely 
ignorant if I can at least properly say the name of the thing I am 
ignorant of. 

--
CL