my linux history and Archlinux in my future!

sud_crow · 2003-07-01 00:07:43

Hi all.

Well, im actually a ML9.1 user, and also, i newbie labeled one.
I ´discovered´ Archlinux, through MandrakeUsers.org forum, and i got curious, and altough im a semi-newbie (i have had some past with linux, and several distros, but i was actually on the gaming age, and well, linux didnt had much support for games those days, even now it doesnt have all the support it should..). And well, i always had a linux installed (i tryed SuSE, RH, Slackware and finally Mandrake, the last two, were the ones that i liked most, but it has been some time since i tryed RH --5 or so-- and well, i like ML so im staying with it and dont need another simil.
But! i do like exploring and knowing everything i can, so i decided to go with a LFS system, and although im building it, and it takes some time to finish it up, i think its going to worth it.
But! (again!)
Lets get to the Archlinux point.
I have been looking, and several people use it (not like yopos or something ;-) and well, as its optimized for the i686, and its mostly console based (something i really like and always admired) it called my attention, now, i was looking and read several post on this forum (by the way, its the same as mandrakeusers.org!) and i would like to know the following:

1- When is Archlinux 0.5 ISO going to be released?
2- Every package is optimized for i686? (the included and the ones on the website)
3- If i use any program sources, i can compile it and run it on Arch like in any other distro?

Well, i guess ´thats all, folks!´ (for now!)

Im asking when is going to be released becouse i have dial up and it takes me about a week to download a file of 600mb. So if its going to be released anytime soon, i wont download version 0.4...

And I wanted to say that altough i have my english a bit rusty, and may have some spelling or grammatical errors, i do read a lot, and as i write/speak Spanish as my native language, i could translate some documentation or whatever you need, im saying this becouse i read a thread about making more known Archlinux to the community, and well, altough we (at least most of us linux users) speak/write english, we like to see things in spanish and always helps popularity...

Thanks for reading,
I wait your answers!
PS: --whats IMHO??--

Arielext · 2003-07-01 07:18:05

sud_crow wrote:

1- When is Archlinux 0.5 ISO going to be released?
2- Every package is optimized for i686? (the included and the ones on the website)
3- If i use any program sources, i can compile it and run it on Arch like in any other distro?
Well, i guess ´thats all, folks!´ (for now!)
Im asking when is going to be released becouse i have dial up and it takes me about a week to download a file of 600mb. So if its going to be released anytime soon, i wont download version 0.4...
And I wanted to say that altough i have my english a bit rusty, and may have some spelling or grammatical errors, i do read a lot, and as i write/speak Spanish as my native language, i could translate some documentation or whatever you need, im saying this becouse i read a thread about making more known Archlinux to the community, and well, altough we (at least most of us linux users) speak/write english, we like to see things in spanish and always helps popularity...
Thanks for reading,
I wait your answers!
PS: --whats IMHO??--

1) I dunno, when it's done it's done
2) yes, every package is compiled with the -march=i686 flag
3) but of course! best (for us the archers) is to compile it using ABS, A nifty service which allowes you to build archpackages from the source. These packages are in the tar.gz format and the specify where what file is on the drive. If you extract this package in your root directory on another (non arch) linux distribution there might be a change that it works (if all dependencies are met)

Translating documents in your native language is always welcome! In that way you can help other, not so well English speaking/reading people.

And for your PS: In My Humble Opinion

sud_crow · 2003-07-02 17:43:32

Ok, thanks for everything.

One last thing, if no-one can tell me when 0.5 is released, then, if i download 0.4, its will be easy and light to upgrade or do i wait until 0.5 is released?

remember i have a dial up! i cant get downloaded the distro in a day and i would be really upset if i finish downloading 0.4 and the 0.5 sees the light the same day/week/month!!!! ;-)

Again, thanks...

Xentac · 2003-07-02 18:34:39

If you're on dial-up and you don't want to download a lot of stuff from the get-go, it's probably a good idea to wait till 0.5. Every base package has been upgraded since 0.4, so you have to re-download all of them anyway.

An idea is to just download the ftp install disks. This install method will probably take a while, but less than downloading a whole 0.4 cd.

The upgrade from 0.4 to 0.5 happens when you pacman -Syu. It's not like RedHat or something, where releases aren't cross-compatible. In arch, a release is just a snapshot of the current state of the packages.

sud_crow · 2003-07-02 19:02:42

Hi,

Well, thanks for the rapid-answer!

hmmm....i think i will wait until 0.5 then... hope its not a long wait!
if anyone could do just a estimate of when, i would be happy.

the real problem is not the dial-up it self, but that there is no fix-payment method for it, i mean, i pay per hour, so there more i use, more i pay... and i already use a lot ;-)

...thats it. i will wait till 0.5 but i will be around with more questions... :twisted:

--------
chau!

andy · 2003-07-02 23:22:48

I am trying to remember, but as far as I know, I installed sometime between 0.3 and 0.4. I think I used the 0.3 disks to install the then current snapshot which eventually became 0.4.

I am not sure if I want to recommend that because I'm quite experienced when it comes to juggling with systems ;-) ... and also, in the meantime, the install procedure may have changed in a way that this is no longer possible.
But from telling my method you may gain some insight how the system and the upgarde is designed.

Anyways, as already said, essentially, there is only one version of AL : current. Each release is just a snapshot.

sud_crow · 2003-07-03 04:08:08

Hey...

Well, im not soooo emotioned about doing the download instzll disks thing coz i dont fully understand what you mean.

An idea is to just download the ftp install disks. This install method will probably take a while, but less than downloading a whole 0.4 cd.

Can you explain a little better what are those disks and whats the difference?

Ohh and andy, can you tell me about:

But from telling my method you may gain some insight how the system and the upgarde is designed.

how was your experience?

About the current version, as there is no ISO, i would have to download separate files or what?? Im not used to work with CVS versions or that... i usually download the source if i actually want to optimize the program, or the RPM if im to lazy, and there is a MDK9.1 one.

I would like to know a bit more of that install disks, and how the current version works.

thnx in advance.

-------------
chau!

Xentac · 2003-07-03 04:49:30

It goes something like this. When you download the cd, you're downloading a snapshot of the official package tree (we have official, unofficial, and unstable) and the installer. By installing off the cd, you get all of the programs you like off of there (but older versions).

When you download the disks all you get is the installer. From there it downloads the packages you want from the official tree when you install. That way you get the newest version no matter what.

You don't exactly download everything by hand, but you will be downloading everything. To install stuff out of the trees you type 'pacman -Sy <package name>'. Then pacman downloads the package and installs it (plus any dependencies).

Isn't that cool?

sud_crow · 2003-07-03 05:05:46

All right! now we are talking!

So, if i download the install disks for the current version, i would have to download each pack i want pacmanually ?? although i loved that thing of auto solve dependencies, it would take me forever to dowload each packeage i want, this is a problem we dial up users have... Instead, if i download the ISO image, i just have to pause it and continue at any time (usually at night) and let the PC auto-poweroff at a determined time... this is the way i have downloaded evey other distro and cd...

And also, im pretty new, i mean, i really dont know every pack i need... (not even what i want!!) i would know a few, like, KDE, Licq, Mozilla, Xine, and XMMS, really cant think any other right now... maybe D4X, and...mmm.... dont know, Mandrake installs such a quantity of soft, that i would have to use my hands and feets to count how many text editors i have.... anyway i like it... i dont have space problems so, thats no bad thing, and for now, i consider it a good one, becouse it lets me try several different options of the same thing... and then when i get my Arch Linux i will know exactly what i want and what i dont... and this goes for everything not just text editors... 8)

Well, i dont know... i really dont want to download 0.4 if i will have to download 0.5, but im real anxious to try it... ARGHHHH!!!

what to do!! what to do!!.... :mrgreen:

PS: the actual official tree, its close to be finished?? i mean, how long is version 0.5 from being completed??

andy · 2003-07-03 14:22:21

For your question : My experience was very smooth. :-)

When you download the ftp installer disks and do the ftp install, it will call pacman underneath. AFAIR the installer gives you a chance to select where to install from. I think you can chose a ftp path pointing to current..

Then the installer shows you some more or less fancy menu where you can select what you want (e.g. all ...).

As I said : I'm not sure if this is still possible ! And how many glitches to expect. After all, the installer is desginged for 0.4.

Once you are done, you will only use pacman to a) keep up to date and b) to install new packages.

beniro · 2003-07-03 15:34:52

sud_crow: To put it in plain words, if you download 0.4, updating to 0.5 is as easy as running a full update with pacman. A single command and a few minutes of downloading. This will update all the packages that need updating and effectively give you the latest version.

Gyroplast · 2003-07-03 18:27:16

I would not recommend updating from 0.4 to current for a dialup user; The new packages are _huge_, X11 alone takes almost 50 megs, and that's far from being just a few minutes worth of downloading.

If you cannot wait (and we all know you can't), grab three disks and follow the FTP Install instructions to be found on the website. Select the bare minimum, ie. the base packages only, as recommended in the instructions, and let it rock. After getting the base up and running, you can slap any additional packages on the system without any hassle, whenever you want to, automagically resuming downloads of packages if you decide to stop for whatever reason during the package install.

The only potential problem I see is getting a dialup connection to work in the first place, before running the actual installer. You'd have to do this from the command line, and I'm absolutely uninformed about the process as a whole. Does Arch even _support_ dialup config from the bootdisk set? Anyone knowing more here?

Regards,
Dennis

sud_crow · 2003-07-04 04:22:18

Hey, thanks for all the answers!

Actually, i dont mind setting pppd. so there is no problem about getting online, i can manage with that, the thing that really disturbs me is, 50mb only X11?? crap...
mmm....

I was thinking this, from what i read, i could set up a Arch system with the bare minimum, but i would like to know, whats that minimum, i mean, when i download the install disks (by the way, can anyone tell me the 'wheight' of this) i can choose some kind of base system and then when i get the 0.5 ISO, i could update/install the remaining packages?

That would be something... at least, i can start customizing!

Gyroplast · 2003-07-04 09:47:37

I just checked the size of all packages in the base category, and ended up with a count of 64924933 Bytes in total. That is including the 2-3 packages that you don't need in _all_ cases, like reiserfs tools for example, but you may of course deselect what you don't need. Be aware, though, that some packages are used but the init scripts, like "sed", which don't seem all that bare minimum on the first glance. Better be safe than sorry.

So you roughly need to download 65 Megs for a working base system, plus ~170kb for the ppp package to get online.

Greets,
Dennis

sud_crow · 2003-07-04 18:26:41

geez!

thanks! i really appreciate all your (dont remember the translation) `preocupacion`, i think its something like preoccupation or so.

I just checked the FTP at archlinux.org and it has already the ISO folder, i dont remember if this was a week ago, but any way, i also checked the OS folder and it has 600mb of packages, and unless im to wrong, i think its almost there, Arch is supposed to be one CD isnt? then its almost complete, also, there is almost every package i can think off, so will see how long it takes to the ISO image to be released.

PS:

I just checked the size of all packages in the base category, and ended up with a count of 64924933 Bytes in total.

Where is the base category??

Thanks again for everything.

Gyroplast · 2003-07-04 18:41:45

There's a file called "packages.txt" in a setup/ directory on the FTP server, within the current branch. It lists all available packages, and the category is the "directory" in front of the package name. You'll understand it when you see it.

sud_crow · 2003-07-09 04:44:17

--This is a sort of conclusion to the thread, just not to let it like this!

Well, I actually decided to wait until 0.5 ISO is released, this is mainly a downloading/money/packages-wanted and that a friend gave me a cd with the sources for LFS that i was waiting, i had some tarballs, but not all, and i even got some BFLS, so im working on that...

But im still waiting my ArchLinux 0.5 release!

Anyway, i think LFS is pretty similar to Arch so to speak... with some tweaks and added things that make it better... So i can spend some time with LFS learning and waiting...

[/b]

Arch Linux

#1 2003-07-01 00:07:43

my linux history and Archlinux in my future!

#2 2003-07-01 07:18:05

Re: my linux history and Archlinux in my future!

#3 2003-07-02 17:43:32

Re: my linux history and Archlinux in my future!

#4 2003-07-02 18:34:39

Re: my linux history and Archlinux in my future!

#5 2003-07-02 19:02:42

Re: my linux history and Archlinux in my future!

#6 2003-07-02 23:22:48

Re: my linux history and Archlinux in my future!

#7 2003-07-03 04:08:08

Re: my linux history and Archlinux in my future!

#8 2003-07-03 04:49:30

Re: my linux history and Archlinux in my future!

#9 2003-07-03 05:05:46

Re: my linux history and Archlinux in my future!

#10 2003-07-03 14:22:21

Re: my linux history and Archlinux in my future!

#11 2003-07-03 15:34:52

Re: my linux history and Archlinux in my future!

#12 2003-07-03 18:27:16

Re: my linux history and Archlinux in my future!

#13 2003-07-04 04:22:18

Re: my linux history and Archlinux in my future!

#14 2003-07-04 09:47:37

Re: my linux history and Archlinux in my future!

#15 2003-07-04 18:26:41

Re: my linux history and Archlinux in my future!

#16 2003-07-04 18:41:45

Re: my linux history and Archlinux in my future!

#17 2003-07-09 04:44:17

Re: my linux history and Archlinux in my future!

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