Multiple versions of packages and apt-get

[Mikey]

So I switched to apt-get to update my machine. Doesn't lock up near as often as up2date. However, lately I've been getting complaints on multiple versions of packages. I'll have a look using synaptic and find something like:

blahblah#7.42-1
blahblah#7.42-2.1

Or it'll be the same package and one will have a -2 after it. Same versions otherwise. If I attempt to remove either of them, they say that there are a pile of dependencies (same ones) that will be removed.

Any ideas? I'm starting to get into this linux thing..when it works. :]

[variant]

No idea about the error - sorry. but if you want a really REALLY stable, fast, and utterly powerfull and easy to use system the I STRONGLY Reccomend Gentoo http://www.gentoo.org

[Mikey]

I'll go snag it. Thanks!
I thought apt-get was a huge jump from up2date, so I'm interested to see what this gentoo will do.

[Mikey]

Ah, it's a new distribution, I thought it was a package getter type thing. The I haven't heard of gentoo. When I go to pick up packages, I get choices between distributions and I've not seen this listed. Which packages would it run? Designed for RH, etc?

[variant]

It will run all the same software that redhat does. With gentoo you install aplications like this:

emerge -av gimp

that command will download the latest stable sourcecode, configure it, compile it and install it automajically! You can use pre built packages if you want with

emerge -avk gimp

This is why you dont see gentoo listed in lists of packages.