[Dclug] Still Lost in the Linux Labyrinth of Distros

[Alan McConnell]

On Sun, Jul 15, 2012 at 02:17:39AM -0400, Don E. Groves, Jr. wrote:
>
> > > > Generic whine:  I have never understood libraries.  I pick, quite at
      	    .  .  .  .  

> > I'm still whining.


> >: dpkg-query -l libc6
> 
> Which will return a description something like the following:
> 
> Contains the standard libraries that are used by nearly all programs on the
> system. This package includes shared versions of the standard C library and
> the standard math library, as well as many others.
      	       Here's what my dpkg-query -l libc6 yields:
Desired=Unknown/Install/Remove/Purge/Hold
| Status=Not/Inst/Conf-files/Unpacked/halF-conf/Half-inst/trig-aWait/Trig-pend
|/ Err?=(none)/Reinst-required (Status,Err: uppercase=bad)
||/ Name           Version        Description
+++-==============-==============-============================================
ii  libc6          2.11.2-10      Embedded GNU C Library: Shared libraries
    	     So we run here into two different behaviors of the
	     same command!

> easiest way to find out how many is to BOOT with a rescue disk and
> rename 'libmemusage.so'
> to 'libmemusage.so-hold' and then boot the system and see which programs
> BREAK.
>   NOT that I'm even remotely recommending trying such a thing.
    	     <ROTFL>  What a feat of derring-do!


But that's not the point.   Suppose I wished to write a substantial
program, in C, and didn't want to reinvent the wheel; so I'd wish to
use as much fundamental code as I could.  I consider "libraries" a
synonym for "fundamental code".  How would I know what is available?
I remember when I was employed at GSFC and was a member of a team
which tried to write "libraries" -- I forget now for what.   We weren't
expert and we had a terrible time.  Would I/we do better today? not
without some Real Good documentation, with examples.

So I thank you for your message and shall remember that you know
about dpkg, which is way deeper into apt-arcana than I have ever
ventured.  Maybe you should write a treatise on libraries?  or
maybe there is some other expert here?

Best wishes,

Alan

-- 
 Please note Alan McConnell's new E-address:  alan at his.com .
  "The great safeguard of society and domestic life was, that opinions
  were not acted upon. Sane people did what their neighbors did."