Re: how to deal with packages depending on mysql-server

[Steve Greenland <steveg@moregruel.net>]

On 25-Jul-06, 10:14 (CDT), Bastian Venthur <expires-2007@venthur.de> wrote: 
> Martin Wuertele wrote:
> But how can a user mark the sql-server as
> installed-to-satisfy-dependency? I mean when I remove wordpress (or some
> similar package) mysql-server won't be removed until I do it manually.
> Wasn't the Debian package system designed to avoid such problems?

No, the Debian package system (aka "dpkg") was designed to make sure
that packages work when they are installed. *Aptitude* (a front end to
the DPS) makes a best effort to track and remove packages installed for
dependency reasons only. It's not perfect.

For situations where a package requires a server that may be accessible
remotely, consensus policy is that the burden of requiring the server
be installed locally is larger than the burden of requiring the user to
think.

Steve
-- 
Steve Greenland
    The irony is that Bill Gates claims to be making a stable operating
    system and Linus Torvalds claims to be trying to take over the
    world.       -- seen on the net