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Hey guys, So i've been using Arch Linux for the first time (Linux for the first time, actually!) and I want to upgrade the system.
I want to use "pacman -Syu" to update everything. Are there any precautions I should take, or will this upgrade everything and all my apps will work fine? Everything I have on my system was installed with pacman, nothing was custom installed, except for one plugin for Gimp with out the use of pacman, just makepkg, makeinstall, etc (oops!).
Has anyone had problems after upgrading with apps no longer working or settings overwritten? What settings should I look out for? etc?
Thanks!
joe@trusktr.io - joe at true skater dot io.
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Upgrade with no fear
If you encounter any prob, right here.
Last edited by flamelab (2010-03-16 01:02:23)
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Ok cool, I'm gunna do it. How often do you perform a system update?
joe@trusktr.io - joe at true skater dot io.
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...Almost daily
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Have you heard of a user named trusktr,
Who upgrades with the aid of a muster?
Alas for him, today,
Everyone went away,
And left him alone in a fluster.
Ok cool, I'm gunna do it. How often do you perform a system update?
Every few seconds, why?
Last edited by fsckd (2010-03-16 01:15:25)
aur S & M :: forum rules :: Community Ethos
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Don't worry, pacman won't override your settings
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hehe. Well i haven't done one since i started using Arch in the first half of February. I guess if you perform one daily then the easier it is to catch an error if it occurs, otherwise if you wait for a month or two then there a too many updates to know what you upgraded that could be causing a problem.
I've heard of someone upgrading and loosing some functionality before, so that's the only reason why I was wondering.
Anyways, everything seems to be working just nifty!
joe@trusktr.io - joe at true skater dot io.
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By the way, i friggin love the Arch pacman utility. When was the last time you were on windows and could upgrade EVERYTHING with one command? ... never. I love being an Archer.
joe@trusktr.io - joe at true skater dot io.
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By the way, i friggin love the Arch pacman utility. When was the last time you were on windows and could upgrade EVERYTHING with one command? ... never. I love being an Archer.
Now you know how Neo felt when he first opened his eyes
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hehe. Well i haven't done one since i started using Arch in the first half of February. I guess if you perform one daily then the easier it is to catch an error if it occurs, otherwise if you wait for a month or two then there a too many updates to know what you upgraded that could be causing a problem.
I've heard of someone upgrading and loosing some functionality before, so that's the only reason why I was wondering.
Anyways, everything seems to be working just nifty!
You installed a working system before, right? It was the same pacman going through the same process. It's true that upgrades occasionally break things. Normally just looking around the forums, checking the news on the front page, and maybe even reading the dev-public mailing list is enough to know what needs to be done. And when you do -Suy, read the output on the command line. Occasionally there's information that's important to your situation.
Later on as you become closer to Arch expert status, you'll find all sorts of clever ways to break your own system. At that point, the rolling release is the least of your problems. Just the other day I deleted most of /usr on a running system. That's freakin' stupid. Was I concerned about upgrades? Hell no! I erased pacman!
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hehe. Well i haven't done one since i started using Arch in the first half of February.
Houston, we found the problem!
I'd only recommend holding off updates if you know you need something done urgently (right now!). If that happens too often (every other day) then you should have two machines, one to test and one to do work on.
Allan-Volunteer on the (topic being discussed) mailn lists. You never get the people who matters attention on the forums.
jasonwryan-Installing Arch is a measure of your literacy. Maintaining Arch is a measure of your diligence. Contributing to Arch is a measure of your competence.
Griemak-Bleeding edge, not bleeding flat. Edge denotes falls will occur from time to time. Bring your own parachute.
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Later on as you become closer to Arch expert status, you'll find all sorts of clever ways to break your own system. At that point, the rolling release is the least of your problems. Just the other day I deleted most of /usr on a running system. That's freakin' stupid. Was I concerned about upgrades? Hell no! I erased pacman!
Ahhh.... breakage that had nothing to do with me!
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haha, nice sand_man. I'm in the real world now!
Why would you delete you /usr folder Skottish?
Hehe, yeah, maybe in the future when i have more $$$ ngoonee.
joe@trusktr.io - joe at true skater dot io.
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I want to use "pacman -Syu" to update everything.
...upgrade EVERYTHING with one command...
Just so you're clear - pacman -Syu will upgrade installed packages that have been upgraded in the Arch repos. It's not all packages, every time.
Also the advice given here is essential.
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No, -Syu will not break your system, unlike apt-get or ubuntu. (blehhh)
This is mostly due to the simple and modular structure of Arch, the rolling release system, and the superiority of pacman.
As such, you do only need to run updates every other day, updating a few packages. This ensures a lesser chance of screwing up your system, as less dependencies are involved.
Archers take their arrows in the knee.
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Ok, I'll offer my 2 cents, too.
YES, you can break stuff. I run Arch on only one machine: my work computer and every so often an update breaks something or I loose some functionality. My advices would be to
1) update regularly - once a week or more - that way if something doesn't work anymore as it should it makes debugging the system a lot easier (les packages that potentially screwed it up)
2) read the pacman output - it'll provide you with valuable info in case you have to update a config file etc
3) learn how to downgrade packages (have never had to do it, but...) to be able to go back to a working setup
I had things break before (most annoyingly the poweroff function) but sooner or later the next update may catch the glitch and the system will run like a dream again automatically.
Generally, keeping Arch up to date is easy and Pacman is a dream to use I think. Just take some time when you update and don't do it if you have to get that all-important project done on that machine on that particular day.
Last edited by itburnz (2010-03-16 07:16:21)
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Oh yeah, I knew that tomk. It's cool that everything you install from the repos has the potential for auto upgrade via pacman IF there's an update ready for it. Thanks for that info, i'm reading it. It's very useful!
No, -Syu will not break your system, unlike apt-get or ubuntu. (blehhh)
Great advice Firepower. Hey does apt-get exist on arch? I've never used any other distro before, but I believe Arch was the best choice!
3) learn how to downgrade packages (have never had to do it, but...) to be able to go back to a working setup
That number 3 is good advice, thanks itburnz! If anyone else is reading this for info, here's the "Downgrading Packages" page from the ArchWiki: http://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Downgrade_packages
joe@trusktr.io - joe at true skater dot io.
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There's no apt-get on Arch (if you're really keen and into programming you could probably replace pacman with apt-get somehow, but why would you?). apt-get is the Debian package manager. As you probably know, Ubuntu and a bunch of other distros are Debian based and hence use apt-get as well.
I think Arch is a great choice much more for the simplicity and transparency than its package manager. As much as I like pacman, apt-get works just as well for me as pacman.
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I don't mean to sermonize, but I'd just like to put in a word for reading the stickies. At the top of this very forum, there is a thread titled "PLEASE READ BEFORE UPGRADING," which addresses some of the very questions raised here. I realize it's human nature to read "past" things -- directions, licenses, warning signs -- but we seem to spend a pretty good amount of time stepping over the very information we need. And I'm as guilty as anybody.
Just want to point out yet another excellent category of resources that exist on this forum.
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You should also read this: > http://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Pac … save_Files <
Evil #archlinux@libera.chat channel op and general support dude.
. files on github, Screenshots, Random pics and the rest
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You should also read this: > http://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Pac … save_Files <
Aha! I was wondering about these ".pacsave" files. Great info. Thanks Mr.Elendig.
So when I see those warnings it means that the file had custom content inside. eh? Shall I replace the new file with the contents of the pacsaves? Is there a pacsave utility that you know of to view pacsaves and replace if necessary?
Last edited by trusktr (2010-03-16 19:25:42)
joe@trusktr.io - joe at true skater dot io.
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trusktr - the reason people post links to wiki pages is so that other people - you, in this case - will read them. The questions you just asked are answered there.
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pacsaves are just the files renamed. They are the same format as the original, so use whatever program you used to modify the original to view the pacsaves.
Do not merely copy the contents over. Usually a pacsave is generated because you had modified the original. Merge your changes in the older file into the pacsave and then copy it over.
aur S & M :: forum rules :: Community Ethos
Resources for Women, POC, LGBT*, and allies
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I usually glance over the list to see if anything important looking. Nvidia/ATI drivers are worth looking up, as they can break sometimes. X and kernels are usually okay...
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Hey tomk, my question is actually not answered in that link! I'll just take a look at my pacsave files and find out for myself
Man, i've seen many of these .pacsave warning messages! i'm gunna go see what's up.
joe@trusktr.io - joe at true skater dot io.
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