Lynn David Newton wrote:
> 
>   >> I don't see an option in rpm itself that extracts
>   >> the information "if you want to upgrade x, then,
>   >> you'll also have to upgrade w, y, and z."
> 
>   hans> * Pay for their upgrade service.
>   hans> * Mirror the dist and write your own dependency checker.
>   hans> * Write something that automagically, recursively grabs dependencies.
>   hans> * Port rpm-get to RH and get mirror sites to support it.
>   hans> * Move to a dist such as debian, SuSE or Mandrake that has dependency
>   hans> checking upgrade tools.
> 
> The last one is probably my best option. I'm inclined
> to believe that Debian is the best distro out there.
> However, I started a long time ago with RH, and if the
> maxim that once it's installed it's all the same is
> true (which I believe it essentially is), then there's
> little reason to go to a different distro, because then
> I'd also want to back up my customized stuff and my
> home directory, wipe the disk, and start from scratch.
> The prospect of doing that is just too scary now that
> I'm working only at home and without the army of
> technical geeks surrounding me I used to have at my
> disposal. The potential for catastrophic failure is
> immense.
> 
> Having said that, I'd like to do it anyhow.

This is what I did the last time...

Buy another disk -- hey, they are CHEAP.  Install the new OS on the new
disk and simply mount your old one (including your home directory). 
When I did this I also added to Lilo's config the ability to boot the
old OS's... 

The bad part comes later when you have to clean up all your junk -- I'm
facing 200GB's and 90% full, and no, none of it is porn ;-)

> I tried Mandrake once under VMware. Hated it.
> 
> 'nuff said.

:-/ don't get me started ;-)

  EBo --