Re: Important information regarding upcoming dpkg 1.16.2 upload

[Ian Jackson <ijackson@chiark.greenend.org.uk>]

Guillem Jover writes ("Re: Important information regarding upcoming dpkg 1.16.2 upload"):
> On Mon, 2012-03-19 at 08:12:08 +0100, Raphael Hertzog wrote:
> > It has always been possible to sort-of "duplicate" a system by doing
> > "dpkg --get-selections >file" on one computer and running "dpkg
> > --set-selections <file" on another computer followed by an "apt-get
> > dselect-upgrade".
> > 
> > This requires that dpkg accepts the selection for packages that it
> > doesn't know about (but that apt knows).
> 
> Which has always been wrong, it's the equivalent of expecting apt to
> accept operations on unknown packages. dpkg should really not accept
> random junk on --set-selections. The implication of this is just that
> if the available file is not getting updated, then it needs get synced
> back before setting the selections with one of the several methods:

No, it is entirely correct (in dpkg's model) for dpkg to accept such
settings.  If you are using an access method that doesn't involve apt,
it will be effective, in that when the packages which were previously
selected are presented to dpkg for possible installation, dpkg will
know that they're wanted.

Ian.