Igor wrote:
I just purchased a Dell laptop with Ubuntu 7.10 preinstalled. What I
like about this setup is that all sorts of nifty things like the
wireless card and hibernate/suspend features are automatically set up.
However, I prefer the Debian package selection and frequency of
updates (I usually run unstable).
Can I take advantage of both worlds? That is, can I safely sync all my
packages with Debian's unstable repository while retaining all the
existing configurations?
The obvious thing to do is to change the apt sources and run a
dist-upgrade. However, I'm a little paranoid that this is not entirely
safe and that it may leave my system in a broken state. Does anyone
have experience with this course of action or have better suggestions?
Thanks in advance.
Igor
P.S.: If it's not too much trouble, please CC me when replying.
hmmm. Interesting. I have never tried it. What I have done is taken
my packages list from a ubuntu box and imported it to a fresh debian
install and then did a apt-get upgrade-dselect. Worked with out a
hitch. Just thinking out loud here: make a backup of /etc. do dpkg
--get-selections>somefilename get the name (url of) debian multimedia.
Copy sources.list somewhere safe.
change sources.list to debian sid. apt-get update. apt-get install
apt-listbugs. apt-get upgrade. apt-get dist-upgrade and hold on.
Really, the only things I see different on ubuntu is the wireless. You
might not have working fans on the laptop after you install debian.
Google i8kutils. If you are running amd64, there is no replacement
IFAIK so don't, run i386. You want your fans. Well, there is one
replacement, it is cli-ish and I did not want to have to think that much
about it. Google Ubuntu Dell fans or Debian Dell fans and you will find it.
I have not tried the hibernate, but I am not running debian on my laptop
now to test it.
Ubuntu is not 100% compatible with debian. A quick google and I found
one email thread on it. Quite old. The upgrade/dist-upgrade will not
overwrite your /etc/ unless you tell it to do so during the
installation. If it does not work, you can then install debian (you
have the package list, remember?) and do dpkg --set-selections
<somefilename, apt-get update (after changing the sources.list) and
apt-get upgrade-dselect and it will install the same package list
(unless there is not one of the same name).
I used to install Libranet (it was easier then Debian to install and
configure) and then change sources to Sid and do dist-upgrades. It
makes you good with dpkg to fight the conflicts. Read the error
messages if you see any, dpkg will tell you what is wrong. dpkg
--force-help to learn how to get around things.
The worst thing that will happen is you will have to re-install ubuntu,
or debian. If you have the package list you made, you can install all
your packages and if you have /etc/ backed up you can drop it back in
place for the configs (assuming they use the same layout/configs as debian).
Sounds like fun. Good luck!
--
Damon L. Chesser
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http://www.linkedin.com/in/dchesser
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