Re: inconsistent apt-get output

[Sven Joachim <svenjoac@gmx.de>]

On 2011-01-24 19:30 +0100, Bob Proulx wrote:

> Pierre Frenkiel wrote:
>> ==>apt-get install gnome-network-admin
>> ...
>>    The following packages have unmet dependencies:
>>     gnome-network-admin : Depends: gnome-system-tools but it is not going to be installed
>>    E: Broken packages
>> ...
>>    ii  gnome-system-tools       2.30.2-2                 Cross-platform . . .
>
> That does seem strange.  I expect apt to produce version numbers for
> the packages listed.
>
> This should install on Lenny okay.  I do not have it installed but a
> simulation (apt-get install -s) shows:
>
>   # apt-get install -s gnome-network-admin
>   Reading package lists... Done
>   Building dependency tree       
>   Reading state information... Done
>   The following extra packages will be installed:
>     gksu gnome-system-tools libgksu2-0 libiw29
>   Suggested packages:
>     samba-common wvdial
>   The following NEW packages will be installed:
>     gksu gnome-network-admin gnome-system-tools libgksu2-0 libiw29
>   0 upgraded, 5 newly installed, 0 to remove and 0 not upgraded.
>   Inst libgksu2-0 (2.0.7-1 Debian:5.0.7/stable)
>   Inst gksu (2.0.0-8 Debian:5.0.7/stable)
>   Inst libiw29 (29-1.1 Debian:5.0.7/stable)
>   Inst gnome-system-tools (2.22.0-4 Debian:5.0.7/stable)
>   Inst gnome-network-admin (2.22.0-4 Debian:5.0.7/stable)
>   Conf libgksu2-0 (2.0.7-1 Debian:5.0.7/stable)
>   Conf gksu (2.0.0-8 Debian:5.0.7/stable)
>   Conf libiw29 (29-1.1 Debian:5.0.7/stable)
>   Conf gnome-system-tools (2.22.0-4 Debian:5.0.7/stable)
>   Conf gnome-network-admin (2.22.0-4 Debian:5.0.7/stable)
>
> But in Sid/Squeeze it is now a virtual package provided by
> gnome-system-tools.

Yes, and in Sid "apt-get install -s gnome-network-admin" tells that apt
actually would install gnome-system-tools instead.

> What version of Debian are you trying to install this upon?  Lenny,
> Squeeze or Sid?
>
>> Can you tell me whether  "Broken package" apply to gnome-system-tools or to
>> gnome-network-admin, and if there is a way to solve the problem.

Actually no packages seem to be broken actually.

> I conclude that your /etc/apt/sources.list file is broken.  Please
> post the contents of it.
>
>   cat /etc/apt/sources.list /etc/apt/sources.list.d/*

I suspect Pierre has both Lenny and Squeeze in sources.list, and that
apt-get somehow stumbles over the fact that gnome-network-admin is a
real package in Lenny but a virtual package in Squeeze.

Anyway, the error message seems to be totally bogus.  Which is not
unusual, I have never seen apt-get putting out any useful diagnostics.

Sven