Arch Linux

mhertz

Member

From: Denmark

Registered: 2010-06-19

Posts: 681

Re: The Rolling Release System

Sorry in advance for stupid question, but i've searched all over without finding the answer.

In e.g. Zenwalk which isn't a rolling release, then you can keep your system fully up-to-date with a single console command, so as to not having to reinstall new versions, but the thing that's missing is that new-added/removed packages isn't "synched", so does a rolling release model(and specifically Arch's 'pacman -Syu' command) then also auto remove and add removed/new packages based on the changelog? I'm guessing that's right, since if not, then all distro's could be considered rolling release models!

Thanks in advance!

Btw, i'm a linux newbie which just have switched from Zenwalk to Arch with Openbox and I just absolutelly love it! - Thanks a million to the Arch dev team for making such an awesome distro and nice documentation!

CU, Martin.

tomk

Forum Fellow

From: Ireland

Registered: 2004-07-21

Posts: 9,839

Re: The Rolling Release System

An Arch system upgrade (pacman -Syu) upgrades currently-installed packages if an upgrade is available in the Arch repos. The upgrade process removes all files belonging to the old version, and installs the files provided by the new version, with some exceptions for config files etc. The pacman man page has the details.

I'm not sure which changelog you're referring to.

SoleSoul

Member

From: Israel

Registered: 2009-06-29

Posts: 319

Re: The Rolling Release System

@mhertz
No.
pacman -Syu won't change the selection of programs for you because there is no global programs selection,  you install what you want.
Sometimes, however, a core system program is being totally replaced by an alternative with the same functionality but another package name, only then pacman will ask you if you want to do the change.

In a rolling release model there are no OS versions, only software versions for the installed programs.

mhertz

Member

From: Denmark

Registered: 2010-06-19

Posts: 681

Re: The Rolling Release System

Hi tomk and SoleSoul

Thanks alot for your replies!

I can now see that I haden't written my question propperly, so as to let you know what I meant, but still I got my answer

Anyway, what I meant, and couldn't find an answer for in the man page or after googling alot, was about the special situation of packages from the Core repo getting replaced or simply removed, and then if pacman would "sync" those changes for me also with '-Syu', and which I see now that it will, I now learn, provided I answer yes to the prompt!

Sometimes, however, a core system program is being totally replaced by an alternative with the same functionality but another package name, only then pacman will ask you if you want to do the change.

I was only talking about installed Core packages which gets replaced/removed(not upgraded!), and nothing else, and again, sorry for really bad wording! That was the only issue I was unsure about, and else I fully undestand the concept of a rolling release model.

Thanks again guys, it's much appreciated!

CU, Martin.

Last edited by mhertz (2010-06-29 10:25:33)

Eagleheart

Member

Registered: 2010-03-03

Posts: 10

Re: The Rolling Release System

It was hard for some, but is now or join the boat too late.

That reminds me "a man must do what he have to do", I love Arch philosophy

Yeah, be a man: do it yourself.

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Sancte Michaele Archangele, defende nos in proelio adversvm malvs

bogdan2011

Member

Registered: 2012-01-13

Posts: 44

Re: The Rolling Release System

Don't know if it's exactly on topic, but I want to download a snapshot image (netinstall) and burn it on a CD to have it in case something goes wrong.
Should I download the latest snapshot or the current (stable) one?

karol

Archivist

Registered: 2009-05-06

Posts: 25,440

Re: The Rolling Release System

We do have test images http://releng.archlinux.org/isos/ but I'm not sure if they're stable.

You should backup your system. That's the way to keep safe.

That's an old thread and you should open a new one if you want more help.

hadrons123

Member

From: chennai

Registered: 2011-10-07

Posts: 1,249

Re: The Rolling Release System

will the new test images have grub2 instead of grub ?

I couldn't find anything in the mailing list about grub2.

karol

Archivist

Registered: 2009-05-06

Posts: 25,440

Re: The Rolling Release System

You should ask questions regarding test isos and the future isos on the arch-releng ML http://mailman.archlinux.org/mailman/li … rch-releng

Inxsible

Forum Fellow

From: Chicago

Registered: 2008-06-09

Posts: 9,183

Re: The Rolling Release System

bogdan, do not necro post. Please ask questions in relevant threads.

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Forum Rules

There's no such thing as a stupid question, but there sure are a lot of inquisitive idiots !

bogdan2011

Member

Registered: 2012-01-13

Posts: 44

Re: The Rolling Release System

bogdan, do not necro post. Please ask questions in relevant threads.

Sorry, didn't want to spam the board with yet another thread. But I think I'll be doing that since I'm curious about these test isos.