Re: apt-get's choice of a dependent package

[Remco van de Meent <remco@dnd.utwente.nl>]

Peter S Galbraith wrote:
> > $ apt-cache depends august
> > august
> >   Depends: <wish>
> >     tkstep8.0
> >     tkstep4.2
> >     tk8.2
> >     tk8.0-ja
> >     tk8.0
> >     tk4.2
> > 
> > ==> tkstep8.0 
> > 
> > This package needs tcl8.0 (among others), so that one gets selected as
> > well.
> 
> So is the order given in the wish virtual package respected? (How do I
> look up a virtual package anyway?) Should I file a bug report against wish
> for not defaulting to tk8.2?

It's more or less a virtual package because one or more packages provide it.
Try ``apt-cache show wish'' and you'll notice that it doesn't have a lot of
information about it.

> Or should all packages that depend on a virtual package pick the `best'
> one in case none are already installed, like:
> 
>  Depends: tk8.2 | wish

Yeah, sort of. If I'm not mistaken, you can do something like "Depends: wish
| tk8.2", and then tk8.2 will be installed if ``wish'' isn't already
provided by some other package. 


		Remco