Re: Bug#88307: Netbase needs to not depend on not-necessarily-needed packages.

[Brian May <bam@debian.org>]

>>>>> "Tollef" == Tollef Fog Heen <tollef@add.no> writes:


    Tollef> Part of the problem if you are doing manual installs and
    Tollef> install something with --force-depends, then apt screws up
    Tollef> next time you install something.  IMHO it's more intuitive
    Tollef> if it saw that, 'ok, this package has beed installed
    Tollef> without regards to dependencies - I won't remove it when
    Tollef> it's dependencies still aren't satistified'.

I don't think you would need to use force depends here.

For instance, take:

Depends: a (if kernel-image-2.2.18)

Then if kernel-image-2.2.18 is not installed, it is still possible to
install this package and package a at the same time (they don't
conflict), this may be appropriate, if for instance you have manually
installed the kernel without dpkg.

If the kernel is installed, then package a must be installed before
this one can be installed.

Why would you use force depends here?

Point to ponder: but package a is required for any 2.2.* kernel, not
just 2.2.18...
-- 
Brian May <bam@debian.org>