On Thu, Apr 05, 2001, Cyanide Morgoth Calcuterm wrote: > >===== Original Message From "Karsten M. Self" <kmself@ix.netcom.com> ===== > >on Thu, Apr 05, 2001 at 04:28:45PM -0400, Cyanide Morgoth Calcuterm > ([EMAIL PROTECTED]) wrote: > >
<snip> > I wish I could say that. I'm a student I don't have extra cash. > > > What is your data worth to you? > <snip> > Actually I have a really easy option assuming that it's packaged right. > Basically I assumed (rightly) that all I need are those files. Now I have a > system with debian 2.1 which had the various files in /bin but they weren't > compatable and so therefore had to think of other options. Then I thought if > unstable had a simple tgz file with the base OS then maybe I could easily > extract it in winzip and then just copy over the files without fuss or muss. > Unfortunately some wonderfully gifted person decided that unstable didn't > need > a disk section or even a base install and so therefore I don't have access to > this easy medium. If only I have access to a clean system with the files in > /bin that is on x86 and that is running the version of libc that unstable > works under (2.2.x if I remember correctly) then it would work. Unfortunately > sometimes I believe in bad luck and I believe that things never work properly > the first time. > Hi, I'm a little hesitant to get involved in this mildly heated conversation, but maybe I can add something of (marginally) technical interest. If I understand it correctly, you're looking for base install packages like those found on the disks of stable (potato). Now, I've never messed up my system so that I've had to re-install (though I do keep tar-gzipped, encrypted backups on network storage), so I'm not sure if one could replace most of the standard base components of bin from the base install packages. Since you seem to be implying that one can do this on potato but not on woody, I'll assume this to be the case, and proceed to surmise the reason why: Those base install disks, I believe, are generally created in one of the last processes in the evolution of a given distribution. So, in other words, after woody freezes, the boot-disk people will work long and hard to create the boot-disk environment, which would provide you with what you want. So, I believe that you've levied what I think is an unfair criticism against 'unstable', suggesting that it is not planning to create these packages, when I believe that it is just being done at another point in the process. Anyway, it's probably called 'unstable' for a reason. Although you might disagree, I think Karsten was very thorough in outlining a number of options for you to recover/repair your system and possibly prevent a similar event from occuring. The advice I'd listen to, personally, is: "Scale your goals and methods to your resources." I would suggest that, if you admittedly don't have the resources (as a student, like me) to perform reliable backup, that you ensure you only use the stable version of Debian as then you'll minimize your chances of needing exactly the resources that you don't possess. Hope this proves helpful. Best of luck in fixing your current predicament, and sorry I don't have more suggestions for your immediate problem at hand. Take care, Daniel -- Daniel A. Freedman Laboratory for Atomic and Solid State Physics Department of Physics Cornell University
