Bug#560099: edos-distcheck: Fails to detect uninstallability of some java packages

[Ralf Treinen <treinen@free.fr>]

On Tue, Dec 08, 2009 at 11:11:47PM +0100, Cyril Brulebois wrote:
> Package: edos-distcheck
> Version: 1.4.2-5
> Severity: normal
> 
> Hi,
> 
> it looks like some installability issues are not caught and packages
> don't end up in BD-Uninstallable state but are tried, and FTBFS.
> 
> See for example: #559986, #560072
> 
> The java issue has been reported in #560093
> 
> As I said in my mail to -wb-team@[1], it might be that edos is figuring
> out a solution apt-get can't think of, but maybe edos is just failing to
> analyze some dependencies and conflicts properly?
> 
>  1. http://lists.debian.org/debian-wb-team/2009/12/msg00009.html

The most probable explanation is indeed that apt does not find a solution
since it is incomplete (it does not try to install older versions of
a package when a newer version is available). As long as apt is incomplete
we may always have false positives of this kind.

Anyway, I'll have a look. For that, edos-builddebcheck should have an
option to display the solution in case installability is reported
(I'll open a wishlist bug for that).

Cheers -Ralf.