Re: Security Updates in Slackware64-14.2

On Sat, 11 Nov 2017, Robby Workman wrote:

> Well, the idea I had was to do one of the following:
>
> 1) if a different version of the package in ./slackware(64)/*/ is in
>   ../patches/packages/, then install the one in ../patches/packages
>   instead.  This is the more difficult of the two options.

True, but certainly do-able ...  I'd even say "intsall the
highest-numbered package, of those found in slackware{,64}/* and
patches/packages".

> 2) once the system is fully installed, add a prompt to upgrade any
>   package present in ../patches/packages/ -- this would be like
>   the prompts to e.g. use a custom console font

I would certainly find that sufficient, though I would expect it to at
that point have the intelligence to install updates for only packages
that have been installed (I still don't have any systems where a "full"
installation is appropriate ... and probably never will ...).  If it
calls upgradepkg anyway, I believe the correct thing already happens.

> Yeah, that's basically the issue with option 1 above. The only sane
> option is not listed: install the one in ../patches/packages/ instead.

install the *highest-numbered* one in patches/packages, yes.

>> Oh, that reminds me of an additional option I'd love to see in
>> "setup":
>>
>>     - use tagfiles, but prompt for new packages
>> ...
>
> I don't think I like that idea. I do understand the problem though.
> I think the best option is to have a look at the CHANGES_AND_HINTS.TXT
> file on the mirror for the new release - I personally maintain that
> file, and among other things, it has a list of every package that was
> added or removed since the prior stable release.

Agreed that CHANGES_AND_HINTS.TXT helps with the problem, but it still
means having to manually adjust the tagfiles, so it doesn't *solve* it
(though arguably my proposal doesn't solve it either;  it just permits
me to continue being lazy ... I happen to think that's a good thing! ;-)

-- 
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Sylvain Robitaille                               [email protected]

Systems analyst / AITS                            Concordia University
Faculty of Engineering and Computer Science   Montreal, Quebec, Canada
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