Ioannis Vranos wrote:

> Myself am enabling all 3 external repositories (atrpms, dag and dries) 
> when I am looking for something that doesn't exist in the main SL ones 
> (like xine, audacity, bittorrent for example).
> 
> When performing system updates and upgrades or looking for something 
> that exists in the main SL distribution, I keep the 3 external 
> repositories disabled and using the main SL ones.
> 

Good advice...I think managing this is up to each user...in what he 
wants...I
tend to not be too conservative, but also not too wild (needing the VERY 
latest
of everything necessarily)...

I think that the whole idea of Scientific Linux was to have a stable and 
reliable system...
and I see that very strongly....it runs VERY well from what I have 
seen..since the
packages are checked out so closely..a real advantage.  For more 
"cutting edge" stuff
people can mess with Fedora....I also use SUSE retail which is kind of 
inbetween..
it's Cutting edge enough, but checked out pretty well before 
release...but there are
ALWAYS a couple of irritating bugs...

Repositories can create all kinds of issues when mixed up...so I have 
leaned toward
simplicity as mentioned before..I think that it's the best policy.

It would be very nice some day, for each distribution...if there was a 
CENTRAL repository
(I'm thinking of kind of a debian concept, but that's kind of wild 
too)...for anything
people would want...checked out for compatibility....tested...and NOT 
duplicated
elsewhere....

This would be less confusing to the newbie, and provide for much more 
stable systems...

SUSE is working on this with their build-server concept..and I think 
that Fedora is working
on this concept too...it would be a great inprovement.

Thanks, Ioannis....have a great day!

Bob


-- 

"Nuclear war can ruin your whole compile."
		-- Karl Lehenbauer