Install new .deb over existing Lazarus?

[Tomu]

I'm running Lazarus 4.2 on Linux Mint. If I download the Lazarus 4.8 deb, can I just have the package manger (sudo apt install...) over the existing installation? Or should I uninstall what I have first?

[LeP]

It's always better to uninstall and delete all folders from old installation ... the new one can have a different folder organization and olds things can broke the compilation.

Alternatives is to install with different paths (but I don't know how to do in Linux).

If you use "fpcupdeluxe" you can install how many release you want in different way.

https://github.com/LongDirtyAnimAlf/fpcupdeluxe/releases/tag/v2.4.0i

[CM630]

There is a dedicated section in the wiki for Mint:
https://wiki.freepascal.org/Installing_Lazarus_on_Linux#Installing_on_Linux_Mint

[dbannon]

I doubt there is much structural difference between 4.2 and 4.8 if they are both from the official Lazarus repo. If the 4.2 is from the Mint/Ubuntu/Debian repo, definitely remove it first.

From memory, apt can be a bit awkward with installing over an existing one (IFF that is the way you decide to go) so I use gdebi, in its graphic mode has a tick box the do what you want. Its getting pretty old, may not be available for ever.

By the way, just uninstalling the old deb won't remove your configuration, I don't know if the Lazarus deb makers implement the full "full clean", probably not.

Davo

[Thaddy]

By the way, just uninstalling the old deb won't remove your configuration, I don't know if the Lazarus deb makers implement the full "full clean", probably not.

/users/{$user}/.Lazarus and its files are not removed and /etc/fpc.cfg is not removed. There may be more. Manual environment configuration is of course also not removed. (paths, exports). This is for Debian debs from the standard repositories. There may be more, but that's it, afaik. One file for fpc and one hidden directory for Lazarus.  Both are configuration, so may be on purpose. If you want a clean install, first uninstall both Lazarus and FPC (both separately) with apt (remove or purge, then apt autoremove), remove /etc/fpc.cgg, remove /users/{$user}/.Lazarus. Only then install new..
apt autoremove removes dependencies that are only registered for Lazarus and fpc and that can be quite a lot.
On my machine :

Code: Bash  [Select][+][-]

1. # purge Debian-installed FPC and Lazarus
2. sudo apt purge fpc lazarus
3. # remove unused dependencies and purged package config
4. sudo apt autoremove --purge
5. # remove remaining user config. sudo only if they persist.
6. # check with ls -a ~/
7. rm -rf ~/.lazarus
8. rm -f ~/.fpc.cfg
9. rm -rf ~/.fppkg
10. # remove remaining global FPC config, if still present and only if you do not have a self build fpc.
11. # otherwise leave it alone: Lazarus installs ~/.fpc.cfg ~/.fppkg and ~/.Lazarus
12. sudo rm -f /etc/fpc.cfg
13. # check /etc for remnants if it is your only fpc/Lazarus install you removed!
14. # do not remove when you build fpc and Lazarus from source
15. # if it is your only install remove these too
16. ls /etc/f*
17. # finally check again with whereis fpc
18. whereis fpc

Warning: if you are running Debians (all) in WSL2, do not remove the paths from the environment. They are /mnt/ or /media/ paths to Windows directories.
WSL2 is usually completely hyperV'd and shares all real resources, not like a vm with a virtual disk, like VirtualBox. A cross compiler may need these.

The above is NOT for fpcupdeluxe installs but for installations from the Debian repositories.

[dbannon]

/users/{$user}/.Lazarus and its files are not removed and /etc/fpc.cfg is not removed.

Now, just a minute, yes /home/$USER/.lazarus is not removed, but in most cases, the user probably does not want it removed. Lazarus will have a look at it and see if it can import (or update) it and many user settings remain in place. If its too old (and I very much doubt 4.2 -> 4.8 would fit there) Lazarus will tell you so.

And it sure better not remove /etc/fpc.cfg, thats a FPC file.

Davo