Another install busted

[aa-kk]

First I tried to upgrade from Mageia 1 to 2.
Worked well.
Then sometime later, after installing & de-installing stuff, I got the window mentioning how to erase the orphaned packages. I thought, if it is that prominent then maybe, just maybe it's finally OK. Let's try, I mean, we're in 2012, kernel 3.3.6, surely they have fixed it by now. So I went along.
>System totally busted. Will need to re-install. DAMN

Today, on a different system, I got a notice to update usbmux stuff.
What is that?? Seems to be Apple ipad/ipod comm-stuff. I do not want Apple-troll stuff on my Linux box! So I went to de-install.
Aha, will need to de-install my only log-in manager GDM too. Excuse me?
And more stuff I wasn't aware of. So I used rpm -e nodeps on it.
Gone. Sure? Well, Can't be sure because now an error with rpm, line 74.
>System busted? Yep. Will need to re-install. DAMN

I'm getting really scared of trying to install or de-install stuff now.
When does this stop happening with Linux? In 2050?

I just have NO time for this non-sense.

[aa-kk]

To be sure:
-the first bust I cannot undo.
-the second bust I can

However:
1st bust
Just DO NOT show that remove orphans thing, just not smart. (no undo)

2nd bust
I DO know how to rebuild, but it does not show up under the manpage.

SO:
For new/newer Linux dudes, these things are killing. They should NOT happen.


(and yes, I still need to go from Mandy 2008.1 > updates > Mandy 2010.0 > Mandy 2010.1 > Mageia2. And I NEED to keep all my non-linux-repo apps+games (all paid for) running. time...time...time... )

F.

I WOULD pay for support, if it would be somewhat nearby & gave me some guarantees, but who/what-ever I contact, I seem to know more than they do, so not very useful.

[isadora]

Goodmorning aa-kk.

I know, sometimes everything is working just smoothly out-of-hand.
But as anything else in life, there seems to be a need for balancing.
And this means there also will appear times with a little less of those lucky moments, right?

One thing i learned through the years, is not to become upset, it is only about ones and zeroes.
The fact things don't work as you would like to see, is disappointing enough.

And therefore i would advise, and kindly request, to keep the messages straight, without an overly emotional load.

[jkerr82508]

The fact that a package is an orphan does not mean that is unnecessary. (When a parent dies we don't treat the orphan children as unwanted.) An orphan package is one that was installed as a dependency of a package that has subsequently been removed. When you start "de-installing stuff" you are very likely creating orphans.

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urpme --auto-orphans

is an expert option - that's why it cannot be run from the GUI. Before using that option (as with any expert option) one needs to understand what the consequences will be (in this case by carefully examining the list of packages that will be removed).

Arbitrarily removing packages is never a smart thing to do. It is very seldom that it is either wise or necessary to remove a package using

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rpm -e --nodeps

We should avoid trying to use expert options unless we understand fully how they work. As the old adage goes "a little knowledge can be a dangerous thing"

Jim