Request: add Paul's "How to break your system" post to announcements

[JayM]

Request: add Paul's "How to Break Your System" posts to the Announcements under all of the help forums and subforums as was done recently for the guide to asking for help.

Reason: people don't see that sticky post unless they happen to click on the MX Help forum in the Board Index. If they click directly on one of its subforums, or on Software Configuration, Hardware Configuration, General or one of its subforums, they won't see it. There are too many newbie posts where they add PPAs or install an app they find on the web rather than installing from the repos (we're getting a lot of ex-Ubuntu/Mint newbies that are used to doing things that way: PPAs and direct installation of .deb packages.)

Expected results: doubtful that everyone will bother to read it but at least it will be there in front of them in all of the help-related forums, so at least a few more people than currently might see it and heed it, and be spared from ending up with b0rken FrankenMX installations.

(Edit: correct a typo)

[jodumont]

the Paul post need to be a little bit more elaborate
yes not doing a FrankenDebian is a good one but the guide is not complete
https://wiki.debian.org/DontBreakDebian

Also activating and deactivating repos could be source of a lot of mistake and it is not the best, proper way.
I would recommend to explain how to pin a package and lower the priority of the repo instead.

[JayM]

the Paul post need to be a little bit more elaborate
yes not doing a FrankenDebian is a good one but the guide is not complete
https://wiki.debian.org/DontBreakDebian

Also activating and deactivating repos could be source of a lot of mistake and it is not the best, proper way.
I would recommend to explain how to pin a package and lower the priority of the repo instead.

I would instead recommend using the MX Package Installer, which temporarily enables the MX Test and Backports repos only for that session when their tabs are clicked. I would also recommend leaving the MX Repo Manager alone other than to click the select fastest repo for me buttons on the MX and Debian tabs.

[asqwerth]

I've never been a fan of the 3rd tab in Repo manager.

Too many uninitiated users selecting and deselecting things without thinking. I've raised it before. I bet that's where a lot of the "leaving test repo permanently enabled" issues come from.

[JayM]

I've never been a fan of the 3rd tab in Repo manager.

Too many uninitiated users selecting and deselecting things without thinking. I've raised it before. I bet that's where a lot of the "leaving test repo permanently enabled" issues come from.

Maybe in MX Repo Manager the test and backport repos could be moved to their own subsection in the display (like "other.list") with warning text saying that leaving them permanently enabled will break your system? Unless that would cause problems for MXPI. Maybe just leave them where they are but add the warning?

[chrispop99]

When you exit the Package Installer normally, my understanding is that any potentially risky repo is disabled. Is that not the case?

Chris

[JayM]

When you exit the Package Installer normally, my understanding is that any potentially risky repo is disabled. Is that not the case?

Chris

That is the case. The problem arises when people go into MX Repo Manager, enable MX Test and/or Debian Backports repos for use with apt, apt-get or Synaptic then leave them enabled. The next time the MX Updater runs and they allow it to update, blammo! Broken system.

[asqwerth]

Yep, Chris, it's the dratted third tab in MX Repo Manager that is the problem.

[Jerry3904]

If that is actually the problem, then post a proposal in the Dev Team Forum that a warning pop up when that tab is clicked similar to the one in MXPI for MX Test Repo.

[asqwerth]

I raised it before in the Dev Team Forum, under the topic "Repo Manager 3rd tab".

Hmmm, looking at the last post in that thread, I can't be sure if the pop-up has been added for people enabling Test Repo.

To be honest I haven't checked Tab 3 since then, except to disable the debian-updates repo in MX15/16. Sorry I overlooked following up on that thread.

Could someone check? I won't get to my PC until late tonight.