tensixtyone

$ sudo apt-get install bzr
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
The following extra packages will be installed:
  bzrtools defoma file fontconfig fontconfig-config graphviz libcairo2 libdatrie0
  libdirectfb-1.0-0 libfontconfig1 libfontenc1 libgraphviz4 libice6 libpango1.0-0
  libpango1.0-common libpixman-1-0 libsm6 libsysfs2 libthai-data libthai0
  libts-0.0-0 libxaw7 libxcb-render-util0 libxcb-render0 libxext6 libxfont1
  libxft2 libxmu6 libxpm4 libxrender1 libxt6 python-paramiko ttf-dejavu
  ttf-dejavu-core ttf-dejavu-extra ttf-liberation x-ttcidfont-conf x11-common
  xfonts-encodings xfonts-utils
Suggested packages:
  bzr-gtk bzr-svn python-pycurl xdg-utils pybaz librsvg2-bin defoma-doc dfontmgr
  psfontmgr gsfonts graphviz-doc ttf-kochi-gothic ttf-kochi-mincho ttf-thryomanes
  ttf-baekmuk ttf-arphic-gbsn00lp ttf-arphic-bsmi00lp ttf-arphic-gkai00mp
  ttf-arphic-bkai00mp
Recommended packages:
  libft-perl
The following NEW packages will be installed
  bzr bzrtools defoma file fontconfig fontconfig-config graphviz libcairo2
  libdatrie0 libdirectfb-1.0-0 libfontconfig1 libfontenc1 libgraphviz4 libice6
  libpango1.0-0 libpango1.0-common libpixman-1-0 libsm6 libsysfs2 libthai-data
  libthai0 libts-0.0-0 libxaw7 libxcb-render-util0 libxcb-render0 libxext6 libxfont1
  libxft2 libxmu6 libxpm4 libxrender1 libxt6 python-paramiko ttf-dejavu
  ttf-dejavu-core ttf-dejavu-extra ttf-liberation x-ttcidfont-conf x11-common
  xfonts-encodings xfonts-utils
0 upgraded, 41 newly installed, 0 to remove and 7 not upgraded.
Need to get 16.1MB of archives.
After this operation, 38.9MB of additional disk space will be used.
Do you want to continue [Y/n]?

That is why it pays to have the following settings in your apt preferences if you want to keep things to a minimum:

APT::Install-Recommends "false";
APT::Install-Suggests "false";

Yesterday I learned a lesson the hard way. I upgraded a “production” system (My home MythTV box) to the latest testing version of Debian and suffered numerous small failures. The knock on effects ment the MythTV system was unavailable for recording for about five hours, much to the fustration of the other half.

The idea came to me at first when I spotted that MythTV 0.22 has been released and maybe it was time to upgrade to get up to speed, of course I didn’t read through the new features list or check out what was happening in the world of MythTV. As it turns out, nothing changed that affected me or improved the situation . I did a senseless upgrade when I didn’t need to.

So, from now on i’ll follow a simple checklist:

1. Do you need to upgrade? Will it fix a bug or a ongoing issue?
2. Do you REALLY need to upgrade? Will the upgrade fix a world shattering issue?
3. No, DO YOU REALLY NEED TO UPGRADE?

Production systems usually run old software for a reason, I learned that today.

This morning I had the wondrous privilege of travelling on the packed commuter service from Widnes to Birchwood. This service has a bad record, for a commuter service you would expect that it would have the correct number of carriages, this service demands at least four but it regularly turns up with just two, causing everyone to try and ram in.

At Warrington station we had a “complainer” as I call them, cursing and swearing about the train company and how he doesn’t like to be cramed into small places. The guy did have a point, and I’ve often said similar things. The issue I had was this guy’s persistence that it was his right to get on the train and he proceeded to swear at the first person who responded with “no room”.

We arrived at Birchwood station, a First Transpennie station, we were greeted by ticket inspectors, several people complained about the train and the general tone we were greated with was “Oh, East Midlands? Not our company”. Privatisation has really done nothing for the network except split up the “blame” to different companies who don’t give a damn. On our line, the City Line from Liverpool to Manchester, we have 3 operators. Northern Rail, First Transpennie, and East Midlands. Northern operate the local services stopping at all stations and also own the “minor” stations, First Transpennie operate a single service through this line own the bigger stations (Warrington, Birchwood). So investment and ownership is very split, and so is the responsibility.

I suspect with British Rail, we would have a worse overall service but at least the responsibility is centralised, if the trains failed it was their fault. The goverment belived that privatisation would bring new investment into the service, instead local services have stagnated while money earning routes, such as the West Coast Mainline see massive investment.

It’s past the point of saving, lets just hope the goverment notices and works something out.