console-apt's interface to dependency information
Does anyone know if there are plans to make console-apt deal with
presenting dependency information to the user in a way analogous to that
of dselect?
Right now, the UI basically seems to ignore such information, and
depends on apt-get (or the equivalent library) to `automatically' make
everything kosher, but this behavior is *really dangerous*. I managed
to screw up my system by deleting just a few packages, and it took
dselect to fix things.
Dselect's behavior -- detecting dependencies and conflicts, and
confirming them with the user *as soon as he tries to mark a package for
addition/removal* is infinitely easier to deal with. It presents any
unintended consequences in a very concise and easily digested way, and
makes it very easy to cancel the action if they are too severe.
I agree with those who say that dselect is a bit clunky; console-apt is
at least a lot prettier (having the entire screen available for
showing the package list is great -- just changing dselect to do that
would be a great improvement!). But as it stands, it seems too
dangerous to use except for the simplest changes...
-Miles
--
Love is a snowmobile racing across the tundra. Suddenly it flips over,
pinning you underneath. At night the ice weasels come. --Nietzsche
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