Re: OT: Windows is too expensive
 

So you have to buy some 'derivative' distro to get the APT versions?

Re: OT: Windows is too expensive
 

Huh? With Ubuntu/Debian (free distros) its installed and used by default. SUSE can install it but it isn't there by default: howto

Re: OT: Windows is too expensive
 

Well, a 'package' has to be prepared in advance. So, it seems likely you'd need to have a distribution prepared with the different package manager. It sounds like you're talking about something other than the storage format for the applications.

Re: OT: Windows is too expensive
 

Just some background info before I get to Suse..

A package manager is how you download and install software packages when you do not want to manually locate the source code on the net, compile it, then place the files in the necessary locations as per your distribution's file system scheme (which is somewhat standardized, but each distro has its own little tweaks). Most use of a package manager involves getting binaries directly, though it is possible to download things as source and still compile them yourself. The package will generally have a modified makefile with appropriate changes for the distribution, so it is still more automated than manual compiling.

In the Debian-based world, the fundamental package manager is apt (there are various GUI apps built off of it, but apt is the core). There are online package repositories available for each major apt-using distribution. These tend to have nearly every piece of linux software under the sun available and ready to install into the distribution. You use apt-search to look for packages, then apt-get to download and install them. You can also use apt to install a package you manually downloaded from some web site.

Then you have something like Red Hat's (or Fedora) RPM package manager, which (last I checked) only has the function to install package files you manually find on the net. There is not much in the way of a central online repository for competent ease of use.

For Suse, they seem to maintain their own package repositories already. OpenSuse 10.0 is already "prepared" to use apt. You do not need a "derivative" distribution of Suse to use it, you just need to install their version of apt and their sources file. You can just get OpenSuse 10.0 and download apt via YasT (as per the instructions on the site Parabolize linked). I have no idea how Suse' package repository compares to Debian or Ubuntu, though.

Re: OT: Windows is too expensive
 

I believe Ubuntu uses Debian's apt, so technically those aren't separate items when discussing the package managers. That's my understanding anyway.

Re: OT: Windows is too expensive
 

I believe that Ubuntu has its own package repositories.

Re: OT: Windows is too expensive
 

I'm lost, what are we arguing about? Package managers and package repositories are related to each other (both having to do with software packages) but aren't the same thing. Both Debian and Ubuntu use apt as the package manager and both have their own repositories.
I'm not sure about apt being a fundamental or core package manager though. Wouldn't dpkg be the core package manager for Debian based distros?

Re: OT: Windows is too expensive
 

I wasn't aware that we were arguing; I thought we were just answering BM's questions?

apt, dpkg, whatever. I was just thinking in terms of aptitude and synaptics building off of apt.

Re: OT: Windows is too expensive
 

FWIW, my techie girlfriend recommended Ubuntu over Suse when I mentioned an interest in trying Linux. She didn't really elaborate on what she disliked about Suse; I got the impression that she mostly disliked the attitude of the people who put together the Suse distribution.

Re: OT: Windows is too expensive
 

Heh...

Yes, Ubuntu is the 'vogue' right now because it's so much easier to install and use than many other distributions. But I am a techie myself, if a bit out of practice, and I want the extra widgets that come with the older distributions. Like source code. I'd probably go for Debian if it weren't so huge and covered so many CDs. I'll be trying to recompile Seamonkey with some advanced instructions (MMX for example) at the very least. Probably will go for a kernel recompile, too -- After I gain some confidence with the system.