problems with upgrade from RH9 to FC2

[Gary Parker]

Gary Parker <reverend <at> churchofbacon.org> writes:

> 
> I just tried to upgrade from RH9 to FC2 using apt-get.  Once I got the right 
> gpg keys it seemd to progress fine.
> 
> However, I now have many problems.  For example, my new gnome desktop panel
> doesn't function right. Many "Question" dialog boxes pop up at login for any
> user, including root, like:
>     The panel encountered a problem while loading 
>     "OAFIID:GNOME_WindowListApplet".
>     Details: Failed to resolve, or extend
>       '!prefs_key=/apps/panel/profiles/default/applets/applet_3/ 
>       prefs;background=none:;orient=up;size=medium;locked_down=false
>     Do you want to delete the applet from your configuration?

I still haven't found a solution to the gnome panel problem.  Any suggestions
would be greatly appreciated.

> Another problem is that latex now won't process files that once processed fine.
>  Example:
>     $ latex mth065_test4a_f04.tex
>     bash: child setpgid (1709 to 1709): No such process
>     This is TeX, Version 3.14159 (Web2C 7.4.5)
>     (Fatal format file error; I'm stymied)

This was easily solved:
The commonest cause of the message, is that a new binary has been installed in
the system: no two TeX binaries on the same machine can understand each other's
formats. So the new version of TeX you have just installed, won't understand the
format generated by the one you installed last year.

Resolve the problem by regenerating the format; of course, this depends on which
system you are using. On a teTeX-based system, run

# fmtutil --all

Source: http://www.karakas-online.de/mySGML/fatal-format-file-error.html

Gary Parker