Dependency hell redux

[Alan Orndorff]

> I'm also pretty good at administering systems, but I couldn't get the
> program to install on three different ones, running three different
> distributions.  Oh, yes, and the Ximian GNOME 1.4 upgrade trashed one of my
> Mandrake boxes fairly badly, I had to go in and fix a bunch of things by
> hand so that I could log in again.  The existence and persistence of the
> "dependency hell" thread on the gnucash list tells me that I'm not alone.

Yes, Ximian Gnome trashing your box is definately related to and is caused
by Gnucash and Gnucash alone.  I should be so lucky.  On my system, I have
to create the right environment before I can even begin to compile the
source code.  A lot of Solaris included utilities are not compatible with
Linux source code.  I have to install about twenty programs that do what
programs
on my default system do, but aren't compatible with Linux.  After that,
then I get to build Gnome by hand and then the dependencies, and then finally
gnucash.

The funny thing is though, it ain't that hard.

FTP
./configure
make
make install

and repeat until your done.  If your pretty good at administering systems, you
should
be used to this.  I don't do much Linux, but it just seems to me that everyone
depends
on someone else's .rpm or equivalent to get the job done.  If it ain't
working, do it
yourself.


> LWN is often accused of excessive cheerleading for Linux.  Here I was
> trying, instead, to point out a potential problem with the direction we are
> going: a system with that many dependencies *is* a bit brittle.  I would
> really rather not see Linux reproduce the Windows "DLL hell" syndrome.

Library files can reside anywhere, or all in one place, up to you.


> Yes, I probably should have mentioned some other programs, just to balance
> things out.  But: I installed Nautilus without trouble (*running* it was
> another issue...I don't find it a nice utility like gnucash), and Galeon
> dropped in without any problems at all.

> Meanwhile, if you would like to submit a letter for publication next week,
> I would be more than happy to run it.

You also forgot to mention how extremely dedicated and helpful the
developers are.  I've gotten updates literally around the clock from
Dave to fix problems with compilation on Solaris.  He probably
knows my sleeping schedule better than I do.  The most important
thing that you should drive home to your readers is it allows you to
break your dependency on Microsoft to run these types of programs.

Help is one thing you can get plenty of here, just ask.

alan

--
Solaris Resources (Ultra/Intel)
http://www.solarisresources.com