Upgrading Libranet to Debian standard.

[muskrat]

I saw a post the other day with a link to an old post on libranet's board with a Howto on upgrading Libranet to standard debian testing or stable. But wouldn't you know I didn't bookmark it.

Now I've searched this board and can't find it. I also am unable to access Libranets board.

Is anyone able to help me here. I have Libranet 2.8.1 installed and would like to set it up to upgrade to Etch. I'd like to keep all the Libranet special fuctions working such as Admin and the feel of Libranet.

[kmoffat]

Below is my sources.list which I have been using with ln3.0 for a long time, using:

apt-get update
apt-get upgrade
apt-get dist-upgrade

This has been a slow process over several months, so YMMV! and I just added the multimedia source, so same caveat. It did function fine this morning for a dist-upgrade, but now and then there have been errors, probably due to my careless upgrading of config files.

Xadminmenu is functional.


#/etc/apt/sources.list

deb ftp://ftp.us.debian.org/debian/ etch main non-free contrib
deb-src ftp://ftp.us.debian.org/debian/ etch main non-free contrib

deb http://security.debian.org etch/updates main contrib non-free
deb-src http://security.debian.org etch/updates main contrib non-free

deb http://www.debian-multimedia.org etch main

[muskrat]

Thanks, but I just tried that in my debian 3.1 and broke my system, well really I was trying to change to xorg at the same time and now I don't have any x.

That's why I wanted to get back to that post I seen the other day before I brake this libranet.

[kmoffat]

Debian 3.1 doesn't use Xorg? I have it installed using etch, but maybe that's because I came from ln3.0. I think the upgrade was painless, but I can't be sure, it's been a while.

[muskrat]

kmoffat; I did it the other way aroud, I tried to install xorg in sarge, it required quit a bit of packages being upgraded, which I did, that's when I broke my system. I then did an apt-get upgrade which didn't fix it.

It still works on CL thank God because that's the distro running my grub boot loader. I'd like to fix it rather than reinstall.

I was wondering if maybe I needed to uninstall the other xserver. Or maybe if there was a apt-get reinstall command I could order. But of course if all else fails I'll get etch and install from scratch.

The whole reason I did this was to reconfigure the monitor, I like xorg's way of doing things.

[Cariboo]

Hi Ken
I want to upgrade too and I want to be sure that I understood your sources.list right:
deb ftp://ftp.us.debian.org/debian/ etch main non-free contrib
deb-src ftp://ftp.us.debian.org/debian/ etch main non-free contrib
deb http://security.debian.org etch/updates main contrib non-free
deb-src http://security.debian.org etch/updates main contrib non-free

Isn't the second and fourth line not a comment and should have a "#" at the beginning?
Juergen

[deanlinkous]

second and forth are the source code repository lines
you may want them if you want or need source code
I personally comment them out and dont bother with them...YMMV

[Cariboo]

Big Thank you, dean lin kous....I got it.
Now, what do I have to do first, apt-get upgrade or apt-get dist-upgrade after I did apt-get update? Before I do anything I would appreciate if some body could check my /etc/apt/sources.list.

This is what I have:

deb ftp://ftp.us.debian.org/debian/ etch main non-free contrib
#deb-src ftp://ftp.us.debian.org/debian/ etch main non-free contrib

deb http://security.debian.org etch/updates main contrib non-free
#deb-src http://security.debian.org etch/updates main contrib non-free

deb http://www.debian-multimedia.org etch main

deb http://www.planet-moll.de/debian sarge main
# k3b repository

deb http://dl.google.com/linux/deb/ stable non-free
#Google Picasa for Linux repository

deb http://www.backports.org/debian/ sarge-backports main
#deb-scr http://www.backports.org/debian/ sarge-backports main

deb ftp://ftp.debian.org/debian sarge main contrib non-free
#deb-src ftp://ftp.debian.org/debian sarge main contrib non-free

deb ftp://non-us.debian.org/debian-non-US sarge/non-US main contrib non-free
#deb-src ftp://non-us.debian.org/debian-non-US sarge/non-US main contrib non-free

deb ftp://security.debian.org/debian-security sarge/updates main contrib non-free
#deb-src ftp://security.debian.org/debian-security sarge/updates main contrib non-free

By the way what stands "YMMV"
for? :roll:
Juergen

[deanlinkous]

YMMV - your mileage may vary, as in your results may differ from mine

Why are you mixing stable, testing, backports?

Are you upgrading? What are you upgrading? I would suggest a clean install if you can do it.

[Cariboo]

Why are you mixing stable, testing, backports?
I was not sure which of the packages had their newest version in what repository.
Are you upgrading? What are you upgrading? I would suggest a clean install if you can do it.I want to upgrade GNOME, KDE, K3B, Applications like Grahpics, Office, System Tools, Multimedia, .....actually the whole distribution.
Would this be possible if I had a sources.list like Ken suggested
deb ftp://ftp.us.debian.org/debian/ etch main non-free contrib
#deb-src ftp://ftp.us.debian.org/debian/ etch main non-free contrib

deb http://security.debian.org etch/updates main contrib non-free
#deb-src http://security.debian.org etch/updates main contrib non-free

deb http://www.debian-multimedia.org etch main
and then do apt-get update and apt-get dist-upgrade?
Thanks
Juergen

[deanlinkous]

no chance at just doing a good clean re-install?! :D

Well, I think you may be in for a bumpy ride. All I can say is try it and find out. You can have some other repos in the list but I would not mix etch and sarge myself but maybe it would help.

I would try a simulation first whichever repos I decide to have in there. You can do a simulation with the -s option when using apt-get. It should give you a idea of what is about to occur without actaully doing anything. I think apt will usually show all the packages that are going to be upgraded but you can also use the -u option to make sure. And if you really wanted info then the -V option will show the versions of all the packages.

apt-get update then you may want to just try a apt-get upgrade and then do a apt-get dist-upgrade. If I was worried then I would use the -s option first to see what happens and what it says then decide if you are taking the plunge. :)

use the force Juergen

edit - whatever you do backup anything important to you first and be ready for a reinstall, just in case. Now go for it!

[Cariboo]

Thanks dean lin kous for the encouragement!!!
Before I go for it I have one more question. You mentioned for the second time the clean re-installno chance at just doing a good clean re-install?! I Like this idea.
What would I have to do in this case? Using the LN3 disks would give me the same old versions of the packages, wouldn't it? :?:

[deanlinkous]

I just meant a nice clean install of debian. You would lose the libranet tools but I am not sure how usable they will be after a upgrade anyway and if they do function now it wont be long before they will be non-functional in my opinion. You are likely looking at a bumpy ride trying to upgrade with all the changes that have occurred.

If you are happy with LN3 then stay with it and try to add to it. If not happy then you might as well move to debian and be done with it. :)

Good Luck!

[Cariboo]

I just meant a nice clean install of debian. You would lose the libranet tools but I am not sure how usable they will be after a upgrade anyway and if they do function now it wont be long before they will be non-functional in my opinion. You are likely looking at a bumpy ride trying to upgrade with all the changes that have occurred.

If you are happy with LN3 then stay with it and try to add to it. If not happy then you might as well move to debian and be done with it. :)

Good Luck!Thanks for your patience and your advice. Thats not that I'm not happy with LN right now...but I want to make sure that I can keep it up-to-date easy, which seems to be not that easy. Either I move to Debian or, for example, to Ubuntu. Any way, thanks again.
Juergen

[deanlinkous]

Yea, it is a bad situation. I think trying to keep libranet updated will be impossible.... Just my opinion. You are certainly welcome. Now that the libranet forum archive is available you might check it and see what is in there. I personally just trashed my libranet disks and did a braindump of anything to do with them. :(

[bluesdog]

I managed to update my system to etch, with a smattering of sid, over a period of a few months...

The largest hurdle was the udev thing, and more recently the xorg thing...

I'm now running Debian etch/sid. Mostly etch, with a patched and customized 2.6.17-3 kernel

Adminmenu became increasingly irrelevant, to the point where one day I decided to simply remove all Libranet-specific and modified stuff.

The 'uninstall' of Libranet required a bit of manual editing -- particularly regarding some of the 'diversions', or customized scripts installed by Libranet.

Details are available on request...

[bhobjj]

I'm now running Debian etch/sid. Mostly etch, with a patched and customized 2.6.17-3 kernel


With Etch starting the freeze process in July for a December release, it will become more difficult to use a mix of Sid & Etch.

[jozien17]

Where is the libranet forum archive located?

[bluesdog]

Actually, most of what I originally grabbed from unstable, such as k3b, has now made its way to testing.

I have given testing priority in /etc/apt/preferences, so I don't expect things to get too bent!

btw, does anyone know if ther Is any simple method to poll the system to find packages installed from unstable?

[bluesdog]

jozien17, apparently the libranet forum archives should be available at http://ln-archive.debianquestions.com/

.. however, the link does not seem to work for me at this time.. :?

[fos]

I just tried the link. It is working from Jacksonville, FL via a Bellsouth.net DSL line.

fos...

[jozien17]

I just checked the link and it works on comcast.net in Toms River, NJ

joezien17

[bluesdog]

Working now. 8)

[coyotito]

I got a very good system out of L2.8.1 + Sarge but Libranet is too far behind now.
The best/easiest you can do now is Kanotix (RC4 Easter -06)+ Debian testing.
Fast, cutting edge and stable (etch is almost Stable now).