Prev: HOW2 search/grep multiple strings ?
Next: /etc/crontab not running jobs on debian lenny - SOLVED
From: John Thompson on 26 Jul 2010 23:41
["Followup-To:" header set to comp.os.linux.misc.]
On 2010-07-26, Peter Hanke <peter_ha(a)andres.net> wrote:
> I am wondering if resp. how much compatibility there is between different Linux distributions
> for a certain (non built-in/kernel) software.
>
> Let's take one sample:
>
> I would like to install the (free) famous 7-zip archiver software from
>
> http://www.7-zip.org/download.html
>
> When I look at this web page then I find at the bottom one general Linux/Posix version.
> Fine. But - and now it becomes interesting - below there are many more other Linux versions
> for special distributions.
>
> Why are there individual versions if there is a general one?

When in doubt, compile from source.

--

-John (john(a)os2.dhs.org)
From: notbob on 27 Jul 2010 01:24
On 2010-07-26, Peter Hanke <peter_ha(a)andres.net> wrote:

> Why are there individual versions if there is a general one?

It's because that's what Linux is all about, choice. The choice to do
what you want with Linux. That's why there are so many distros of
Linux, cuz so many people have a vision of what they want Linux to be
and they can exercise that vision. It's also why there are so many
conflicting approaches to Linux. So many customizers take the open
source software and tweak it to what they want for their own
particular purposes, be it security, business, multi-media, or simply
an ease-of-use Windows-like distro. All very convenient and gives
Linux users great choices. The downside of this, of course, is
customization becomes the enemy of standardization.

If you would like to try a very "standard" Linux, try Slackware.
Slack's author pretty much uses the std vanilla versions of included
programs and applications. Or, do like John said and compile from
source.

nb

From: unruh on 27 Jul 2010 13:22
On 2010-07-27, notbob <notbob(a)nothome.com> wrote:
> On 2010-07-26, Peter Hanke <peter_ha(a)andres.net> wrote:
>
>> Why are there individual versions if there is a general one?
>
> It's because that's what Linux is all about, choice. The choice to do

He did not want a philosophical diatribe. He wanted to know if a certain
program would work on his system. Especially as it is little standalong
and I think command line program, the probability is very high any
distros will work on any other distro. The best advice is "try it". IF
after trying it it does not work, then try the "compile yourself" route.
In the meantime leaving him with the impression that linux is so
fragmented that you have to recompile everything in order to use any
distro is a disservice. Almost everything works across distros without
problem. Sometimes with big programmes you can have trouble if you use
very disparate distros from the one it was compiled on.
But you will find out soon enough. It is almost never the case that the
use on an "incompatible" distro onlyresults in some very subtle bugs
that only display themselves occasionally. Always instead it is that the
program will not load at all. That is easy to see.

> what you want with Linux. That's why there are so many distros of
> Linux, cuz so many people have a vision of what they want Linux to be
> and they can exercise that vision. It's also why there are so many
> conflicting approaches to Linux. So many customizers take the open
> source software and tweak it to what they want for their own
> particular purposes, be it security, business, multi-media, or simply
> an ease-of-use Windows-like distro. All very convenient and gives
> Linux users great choices. The downside of this, of course, is
> customization becomes the enemy of standardization.


>
> If you would like to try a very "standard" Linux, try Slackware.
> Slack's author pretty much uses the std vanilla versions of included
> programs and applications. Or, do like John said and compile from
> source.
>
> nb
>
 | 
Pages: 1
Prev: HOW2 search/grep multiple strings ?
Next: /etc/crontab not running jobs on debian lenny - SOLVED