upgrading from standard to deluxe

[blackbelt_jones]

Since I am stuck with a really crappy computer for a while, and Debian wasn't cutting it, I decided to install Vector Linux.   I installed the standard version, and it was a lot more responsive but there were KDE applications (e.g. KTorrent), that didn't come with Standard, even after I enable Testing sources, and I couldn't seem to find everything I needed to compile.  So I decided to go ahead and pay for the Deluxe SoHo version.   It's downloading right now.  My question is: do I need to reinstall the whole thing? Is there some way I can just use the software to fix my system?  Keep in mind that I'm probably not going to wait for an answer, so don't put yourself out.  I was just wondering.

[bigpaws]

It is best for a reinstall

Bigpaws

[wcs]

I guess you could mount the iso and grab the packages you want. But yea, best to install the whole thing.

So far as I know, pretty much everything that is in the cds is also in the repositories, so I'm not sure if you'll find other software.
Somebody please correct me if I'm wrong.

[blackbelt_jones]

Yeah, I installed and it looks like you're right.  No Ktorrent in the repos, and no Kpackage either!   I guess it's not the worst 20 dollars I ever spent, but I might have done better with 5.8 SoHo, which had all that stuff.

Anyway, I finally got  Ktorrent by downloading a Slackware 12.0 package from slackware packages.  If it works, I'll have a chance to find out what's so deluxe about the latest SoHo. 

[wcs]

No Ktorrent in the repos, and no Kpackage either

I think you can get Kpackage by installing kdeadmin. No?

[blackbelt_jones]

No Ktorrent in the repos, and no Kpackage either

I think you can get Kpackage by installing kdeadmin. No?

Yep.  That did the trick.   And emacs is a simple 1-2-3 compile.  I was a little bit surprised to have these issues which I didn't have with 5.8, but one by one, I'm resolving them.  I don't regret paying for my Linux one bit.  Vector is as beautiful as ever.

Vector and Slackware have always been great distros for me to use.  Something about them seems to just lend itself to productivity, but I've generally turned to Debian-based distros because there's so much easily available software.  With Slackware, there's always one package that's too much trouble to figure out how to get.    Well, I get 60 days installation/configuration support with my bundle, and it occurs to me that this is a great opportunity to learn about how to set up Slackware.  I'm going to use the support as much as I need to get everything exactly how I want.

One thing I really love about Vector, by the way, is that it's the only distro that really pays attention to fluxbox.  The default fluxbox setup for every other distro looks like crap. Fluxbox is all about configuring, so there's really nothing wrong with that, except that people don't get to see what fluxbox is capable of.  All blessings to Vector for  being the exception!   

[EyesOnly]

Amen Blackbelt! I hear you on the Fluxbox! VL seems to be the one that does it and does it right. I love Flux myself though I don't use it 100% of the time---so many window managers, so little time in life you know?

I use VL-5.9 Light, which has LXDE as the default desktop, but I've also got a nice setup of my own Openbox/FBpanel/ROX (the latter for the desktop in preference over pcmanfm), and then with Blackbox as well...

I'll tell you though another window manager that VL does better than all the rest (and I know as I've tried them) and that's JWM. I've never ever been able to use that WM for more than the time to install another one to get it out of the way and yet in VL Light I can easily work for days in it and enjoy it. I'd love to know how they've managed to achieve what others can't---no matter how many times I've looked over the .conf files. Ah well... some mysteries shall always remain just that, eh?

Always great to see a fellow admirer of the Fluxbox WM and all that it can do!

Amicalement/Cheers!

Eyes-Only
"L'Peau-Rouge"

[blackbelt_jones]

Some more questions.

Like I say, I'm totally glad that I bought the Deluxe version, even though I probably didn't need it to get ktorrent working... but since I don't really want to use KDE on this computer, and I liked the version of XFCE on the standard version better, I'm thinking of going back to the standard edition.  I can still use the media software on the second disk, right?  Do I lose any actual access to software if I go back?  Do both versions use the same kernel, or is the only difference a nice custom KDE desktop?

[wcs]

You should have access to all the software in the repos, and the only differences are in the customisations.
(except maybe for some non-free software like acrobat reader and the like).

However, the kernels might be different... the one in standard is a 2.6.22 version.
Check your soho kernel with "uname" and see if it's the same.
But you can always install a newer kernel from http://vectorlinux.osuosl.org/veclinux-5.9/kernels/

[blackbelt_jones]

SoHo Kernel is 2.6.25.7

I'm not sure the newest kernel is what I want.  Standard is supposed to be maximized for older machines, SoHo is supposed to be built with newer machines in mind.    Is there any way that has been built into the kernel?

[wcs]

I don't really know...
My guess is that even Standard maximises the amount of compatible hardware by including a lot of stuff as modules.
And that there shouldn't be any big differences in the supported hardware of the different editions (except that the SOHO kernel is newer).

Also, there doesn't seem to be any distinction in the kernels directory in the repo (they are not named kernel-standard or kernel-soho for example).

But I might be wrong....

If anything, I think I found soho even slightly snappier than standard on a new machine. Perhaps that's down to differences in the kernel configurations.