[ale] gdm crashes my laptop

[John Heim]

----- Original Message ----- 
rom: "Brian Pitts" <brian at polibyte.com>
To: "Atlanta Linux Enthusiasts" <ale at ale.org>
> I don't know if this will help you, but if you want to run debian
> testing there is no need to install stable and then dist-upgrade. You
> can install testing directly using the cd images from
> http://www.debian.org/devel/debian-installer/ . Also, you can often
> install packages from testing without a dist-upgrade; see "How to
> keep a mixed system" at
> http://www.debian.org/doc/manuals/apt-howto/ch-apt-get.en.html

I can't use the regular install images because they don't include the speech 
drivers. I have to use the debian installer iso with speech. They only make 
a stable version of that.  [Note: This has been a point of contention 
between the blind community and debian developers.]

And actually, the screen reader, orca, is in debian experimental. So I am 
already running a mixed system. Well, I would be except I didn't get that 
far. I tried keeping a mixed stable/experimental system but that didn't 
work.  What happens is you get the "Package X relies on package y version 
n.nn.nnn but it not going to be installed" message. So then you can install 
package y from testing but it will probably come up saying "Package y depnds 
on package z version n.nn-n.nn.n but it is not going to be installed" And so 
on and so on. I spent a week trying to get to the end of those dependencies 
but I couldn't do it. Eventually I trashed my machine that way.

Then I did a fresh install of etch and tried the dist-upgrade to testing. I 
know that if I can get a working lenny/testing system, I can install orca 
from experimental. I've done that before It may not work but I do not think 
it will trash my machine.
.