[plug] My first download: netscape...help?!

[Christian]

Len Bird wrote:
> 
> You are quite correct in assuming that it is necessary to remove your previous
> version of Netscape in a Linux Box. Assuming that you are using RedHat, run
> xstart and get into Gnome, thence a Terminal window. Type 'gnorpm' this should
> bring up the RedHat installer/deinstaller. Grope about till you find the
> Internet window, and then the Netscape Icon. Select 'remove' and then restart
> you box. Some smart Alick is going to say this is not necessary, but play safe,
> and do it that way.

This isn't true at all.  You can have as many versions of Netscape
installed simultaneously as you like, so long as you have disk space for
it and they are in separate directories.  This can be useful when
upgrading from one version to another if you're not sure that the new
version is more stable than the previous (an interesting proposition
with Netscape).

Secondly, the method you describe here for uninstalling is probably
wrong I would say, based upon when Ari wrote below.  From that
description it sounds like he used the Netscape .tar.gz file and not an
rpm.  As a result, the way to uninstall it is not to use any rpm program
but to remove the appropriate directory. eg: "rm -R
/usr/local/netscape".  If the original version of Netscape was installed
via rpm then follow Len's instructions but remember the above for when
you want to un-install the new version.  Also, at risk of being called a
"smart Alick [sic]", restarting the machine is *completely* unnecessary
in either situation.  (It's not Windows 98 he's using...)

> Lastly, there are one or two data files in your existing Netscape which store
> E-Mail, bookmarks and the like. If you want to keep these, back them up before
> uninstalling the old program, and copy them into you 4.7 version.

This is also completely unnecssary.  Netscape keeps its files in the
~/.netscape directory -- but you don't even need to know this to upgrade
or change versions.  Just run the new version and it will automatically
use the previous data files.  I've never had any problem "cross-grading"
between various versions so I don't think the file format changes very
much, if at all.

To summarise the answer to Ari's question: if you want to remove the old
Netscape, just remove the directory you installed it in if you installed
the previous version by hand, otherwise uninstall the RPM if it came
with the system in that way.  As for the data files, you shouldn't have
any problems just leaving them be.

Regards,

Christian.


Old Message:
> Ari Finander wrote:
> > I've just finished ironing out all the problems I was having a month or so
> > ago (had to put things on hold for exams) and staying up all night I've
> > managed to get linux up and running and online.
> > I even downloaded Netscape Communicator 4.7, decompressed it, and installed
> > it using the script that came with it.
> > Here's where I ran into trouble: what do I do with the netscape communicator
> > 4.6 still hiding somewhere in my system?  How do I get rid of it?  I think
> > it's conflicting with 4.7 as there's been some odd behaviour from both of
> > them.

-- 
Portability is for people who cannot write new programs.
				- Linus Torvalds, jokingly, on Linux's
				  perceived non-portable design in 1992