dselect (Re: Help!! gdm installation problem)

[joost@topaz.mdcc.cx (Joost Kooij)]

On Fri, Jun 22, 2001 at 02:50:39PM +0000, debian@arabia.com wrote:
> Now when I tried to configure locales(version 2.1.3-13), using 
>        "dpkg --configure locales" 
> I got the following error message
>   dpkg: dependency problems prevent configuration of locales:
>   locales depends on libc6 (= 2.1.3-13); however:
>    Version of libc6 on system is 2.2.3-4.
>   dpkg: error processing locales (--install):
>   dependency problems - leaving unconfigured
>    Errors were encountered while processing:  locales
>     
>    Now I would like to keep the existing libc(=2.2.3-4) package, and not
> remove it and install libc6(2.1.3-13) as many of my programs depend on
> it. So here is my query
>      What should I do to get locales configured on my system?

Download the locales package version that matches the libc6 version
on your system.  If you randomly pick package versions from different
distribution versions, it might break.  You are finding dpkg to be
stubborn on you because it is trying not to break your system.

BTW, always use dselect.  Apt-get is great stuff, mostly if used properly,
which usually means: as a dselect access method.  Only for single package
installations is command-line apt-get specifically useful.  For more
complex installations and upgrades in general, use dselect always.
It can reaches those places where apt can't get. :-)

If you want to selectively upgrade packages to newer versions in the
unstable or testing distribution, first put all packages on "hold"
in dselect.  This is very easy to do:  just press 'o' twice, to set a
better sorted package list, then select a package section header and
press 'H', for every section header.  dselect will probable come with a
dependency conflict resolution screen every time, but that is expected
and okay.  Simply accept its recommendations and press enter so you can
hold another group of packages.

Then update the packages list to the newer distribution version, from
the dselect main menu, of course.

Now you can reselect the new versions of the packages that you want to
upgrade and dselect will work out for you what other packages may need
to be upgraded as well as a consequence.

When you are done, head back for the main menu and run install.

Dselect, apt-get and dpkg have done all the work for you.

If you later want to undo the effects of putting all your installed
packages on hold, so that you can upgrade your entire system, simply
repeat the procedure to put packages on hold, but this time, press 'G'
on every package, or section header (faster).

Cheers,


Joost