On Fri, 18 Mar 2016 15:09:51 -0500 David Wright <deb...@lionunicorn.co.uk> wrote:
> On Thu 17 Mar 2016 at 16:18:14 (-0700), William Lee Valentine wrote: > > I have installed Debian 2.6.32-5-686 on two machines. One, a custom > > machine, has a Pentium III processor running at 800 megahertz, and > > has 500 megabytes of memory; the other is an IBM Mpro > > Intellistation 6229 with a Pentium IIII processor running at 2.2 > > gigahertz, and has 2 gigabytes of memory. > > > > Debian notified me of updates for some time after I had had put it > > on those machines. Then it ceased to have anything to say about > > updates. I have four questions to ask about maintaining Debian. > > > > (1) Am I to update the kernel periodically? Is there advantage to > > doing so? > > > > (2) If I do, will I again receive notices of updates, and will these > > reference only the new kernel or the new kernel and also other > > programs that I have installed? > > > > (3) If I update the kernel, do I simply download it and install it > > over the old one, or is there some process of uninstalling the old > > kernel that is needed before a later kernel is put in? > > > > (4) How much disc space, at the minimum, should I allot to Debian, > > if I leave it essentially in a single block on the primary disc > > drive? I assume that OpenOffice will be installed automatically > > (since it was earlier); and I will try to install XAMPP, WordPress, > > and Drupal. > > > > Thank you for helping me to understand how to maintai8n these > > systems. > > In case this might be useful, here's my own checklist for a > dist-upgrade: > > > A fairly full list of steps in upgrading a Debian distribution. > Running script might help, with care when it is upgraded itself. > It's safer not to be in X. > > 0. check backups are valid, rebackup, and repeat before big steps. > > 1. read any upgrade/release notes for the new distribution. > > 2. apt-get update the current packages list. > > 3. apt-get upgrade the current distribution. > > 4. apt-get dist-upgrade the current distribution if necessary. > > 5. remove any 3rd-party and iffy packages, and backports, if possible. > > 6. (re)move desktop environment stuff. > > 7. renew the sources list, also commenting out any 3rd-party sources. > > 8. review /etc/apt/preferences* and /etc/apt/apt.conf* and/or move > them. > > 9. apt-get clean (though I do this myself as a matter of routine). > > 10. apt-get update the new packages list. > > 11. possibly upgrade linux-image, linux-headers, dpkg, apt and > aptitude, and reboot, bearing in mind anything like wireless stuff, > ndiswrapper. (If script running, save typescript.) > > 12. apt-get upgrade to the new distribution: much might be held back. > > 13. there's usually a set of changes listed which needs > acknowledging: q. > > 14. there's usually a query whether to restart services > automatically: y. > > 15. if disk space is an issue, clean the cache after saving debs > (if not running apt-cache). > > 16. check if udev has been upgraded and whether it needs to be, > before or after a reboot (remembering script). > > 17. apt-get dist-upgrade to the new distribution. > > 18. if disk space is an issue, ... > > 19. apt-get -f install occasionally to fix problems including > removals/purges. > > 20. sometimes dpkg --configure -a helps because something > unconfigured is holding loads of debs back. > > 12-20. repeat from about here. > > 21. save any new debs not already saved, if needed. > > 22. if the kernel was upgraded since the last reboot, reboot > (remembering ndiswrapper and script). > > 23. check over package release notes. > > 24. sort out mc configuration, especially confirm delete. > > 25. start reapplying customisations where still necessary. > > 26. check functionality and add 3rd-party packages where still > necessary. > > 27. archive any script/typescript outputs that might have been saved. > > 28. save any new package debs and import them into apt-cacher-ng if > necessary. > > 29. see if X still works! With this much work, it would probably be easier just to do a wipe and re-install, since the process you described basically nukes the system down to the bare essentials anyway- and for the same effort you could have an *even cleaner* fresh install. Meh. I just apt-get update, apt-get upgrade, apt-get dist-upgrade, apt-get autoremove, and apt-get clean. It has never failed me. I do exercise *some* caution though (I run testing)- I read apt-listbugs before doing anything, and actually *read and investigate* the changes about to take place on my system. Do things the Debian Way, use common sense, and all will be well.
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