Re: Problems removing packages with --root flag to dpkg

[bruce@pixar.com (Bruce Perens)]

From: Scott Barker <scott@galileo.cuug.ab.ca>
> I'm doing some development (experimenting) with debian, and when I try the
> following:
> 
> dpkg --root=/dos/linux --purge --force-remove-essential e2fsprogs
> 

First, it may be essential to "cd" to /dos/linux before running this.
I've seen chroot(2) change the root without changing the current
directory.

Second, anything done in a chroot context, as above, depends on all
of the context of a Linux system being in place under /dos/linux: the
shared libraries, the shell, etc. In this case it's not able to find
or execute the interpreter for the postrm script, which is
/dos/linux/bin/sh. This is going to be difficult if you just removed
some other essential packages.

I think a few people have tried to build a system from zero using dpkg.
That doesn't work because of the "bootstrap problem". If you have not
done so, you should install the boot-floppies package, and examine all
of the scripts in it. That will show you how the base system is created
and how you can modify the process.

	Thanks

	Bruce