Installing Software In Linux

Fred, I just got done reading the letter from the reader who
was having trouble installing additional software in his Linux
distro, beyond the stuff that came with the distro initially.

The best solution for solving this problem in Linux is APT,
the Advanced Packaging Tool. Initially developed for Debian,
it has been ported to RPM-based Linux distros as well,
including Red Hat, Fedora Core, and SUSE. APT allows you to
update all the software on your computer, and if dependencies
are found, APT downloads and installs those as well. It's
really an excellent tool, and it puts Windows Update to shame
in many ways.

I wrote an article for Linux Magazine last October describing
how to set up and use APT for RPM-based distros, and I think
your letter writer (and many of your other readers) would find
it useful. http://www.linux-mag.com/2003-10/apt_01.html

Thanks, and keep up the discussions of Linux.---Scott Granneman

Thanks, Scott. Indeed, Apt is pretty painless to use and automates what
otherwise can be a complex process. Nice article!

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