Updating Software and Distro

[S. Lawton]

I grabbed a bunch of rpms, and got dependency errors knocked down to 
a list of shared object files - so much for Evolution. Mandrake 8.2 
is the obvious answer. 

I accidently opened the "Mandrake Online" icon, and they want me to 
register for updates, but it sounded perilously close to "This just 
isn't all good..." [spooky timing], so I just hit QUIT. 
Also, in Control Center's Software Manager, I never bothered with 
Mandrake Update, because this machine didn't have access to WWW until 
a few weeks ago. 
Should I go ahead and set these utilities up ? 
Any caveats ? 
I remember John Neff said something about not letting Mandrake Update 
fool with your kernel. 

The system is a stand alone [not networked] dual boot desk top 
machine on Dial Up [ the only time it's connected is when I'm 
surfing, or sending + receiving email], with me as the sole user 
[actually me as 2 users, logged on singly, one in KDE and one in 
GNOME, because I'm figuring out how permissions work]. The linux is 
Mandrake 8.1 as it came from the install CDs. 

Regarding upgrading the distro to a newer version, I actually found a 
HOW-TO, dated ~1999, that said basically to backup /home, reformat 
everything else, then do the install ! That sounded like "washing 
Windows". Hopefully, by now, you can install a newer distribution 
OVER another [like a Mandrake over a Mandrake, a Red Hat over a Red 
Hat, nothing cross-platform], because I've put a lot of custom icons, 
wallpapers, and such in various places down in /usr/share. 

What did those of you who went to v8.2 backup before you did the 
upgrade ? Was /home even touched ?
-- 
S. Lawton

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