Another Linux question

[Roberto]

Luis,

I am thinking of making a dual boot Win98/RedHat computer. The problem is that I only have a 6 gig hard drive and no way to upgrade that. I will have 3 GB for Linux and I NEED TO KNOW: Can Linux programs be uninstalled, or I am going to be stuck forever with them?

[Luchito]

On 2002-03-10 22:13, Roberto wrote:
Luis,

I am thinking of making a dual boot Win98/RedHat computer. The problem is that I only have a 6 gig hard drive and no way to upgrade that. I will have 3 GB for Linux and I NEED TO KNOW: Can Linux programs be uninstalled, or I am going to be stuck forever with them?

Yup. They can be uninstalled.

If you want to uninstall individual packages in Redhat, well, rpm -e package_name.

Be careful with the dependences, though.

If possible, try to get a separate hard disk and install Linux there. And before installing the boot loader, try to create rescue discs for BOTH Windows and Linux, so that you can repair things if something goes wrong.

(*shudder*)

[Roberto]

Yeah, but I am using a laptop. I am really stuck with 6GB.

Anyways, I am going to do this setup today: 3GB for RedHat, 3GB for Win98.

I am installing Linux because I have no other way to practice my rusted C skills, and it would look good in my resume. I have loaned a PowerMac G3 with OSX in it but I can't install the developer tools. I need my compiler &#^$%*!

I need to go for the absolute minimum install (with X-window of course). Should I not install KDE or GNOME? What's the best C++ developer environment for Linux?

[Roberto]

How exactly should I be careful with dependencies?

Last time I had Linux (last year) I had a dependencies nightmare: programs that would not boot after several reinstall attempts, libraries were missing, some installs dump 50-something libraries in a directory unknown by me.

And what's the deal with "you can screw up things BAD if you are logged as a root"? How BAD is BAD? Bad as in "reinstall the OS" or bad as in "your computer is toast"?

[Luchito]

BTW, If you weren't the only one (besides me) who is posting here, I would mark this as off-topic and tell you to subscribe to a Linux-users mailing list.

Especially I should warn you: I never installed Linux on a laptop. I used of hear with some issues (lack of support for some obscure hardware, etc), but that was two or three years ago; I don't know what's with that now.

You may want to install the GNOME libraries and some utilities, so to make your life easier with many programs.

If speed is an issue, don't run the GNOME environment. Run the switchdesk tool to select an alternate [flrrd]

As for a development environment for C/C++, well, you may want to try anjuta, which is pretty cool, but isn't included in the Redhat CDs (so download and install it afterwards).

You *must* install gcc and its related utilities, of course. Anjuta is not a C++ compiler; it's a development studio; you need both.

RedHat's RPM handles dependences well, and warns you about which packages do you need to install a new package. Sometimes it will tell you that you need a particular library or file instead of a package; if you're lost, look at the <a href="http://www.rpmfind.net/linux/RPM">RPMFind</a> site to look for what RPM ask you to.

Anyways, the packages in the Redhat CD(s) won't need anything that's not already present in the same CDs. That's for sure.

The "dependences nightmare" you mention sounds like something done wrong after the install.

The "you can screw up things BAD if you are logged as a root" is because root has access to every file in the filesystem - including libraries and program. Don't log in as root unless you want to install some package or reconfigure your system. For all mundane, every-day routines, login as a real user.

From root, you can do "rm -rf /lib" and make your system unusable, for example.

Well, that. I'm tired now and I can't think of anything else to say.

Good luck.

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Luchito on 2002-03-14 17:35 ]</font>