Re:Annoying package dependence concept
>>>> "JP" == Johannes Plass <plass@dipmza.physik.uni-mainz.de> writes:
You're right.
What I do is to build an empty package that provide all the (virtual)
packages that I have something equivalent under /usr/local. I just
call this package asgard-local (asgard is my box name), install it and
dselect stop barking. There's a lot of times an user don't want the
Debian packages. e.g:
Xserver : too much garbage built-in
fvwm* : I want my own hacked version
gcc : I want -frepo
*** : debian packaged an obsolete (read old) version.
Just grab the hello.*-*.tgz source package, and create your empty
package. It's very easy.
-------
L.D.
JP> Debian's realization of package dependencies is, in my opinion,
JP> too tight.
JP> Two (out of many possible) examples may illustrate my point:
JP> - A user doesn't want to install Debian's ghostscript since
JP> he is a ghostscript beta tester and has a newer version
JP> than Debian provides.
JP> However, since he wants to use previewers like gv, ghostview
JP> and xdvi (which depend on ghostscript) he MUST install the
JP> Debian ghostscript.
JP> - A user wants to install ghostscript.
JP> Due to a dependence on "libpaper" which "doesn't seem to
JP> be available" this fails. Since previewers like ghostview
JP> and xdvi (why actually does xdvi depend on ghostscript ?)
JP> depend on this package the user is left with a system
JP> on which he cannot view .ps and .dvi files.
JP> The basic problem is that deselect doesn't allow to override
JP> any dependencies specified by package maintainers. This, however,
JP> is necessary since package dependencies
JP> - may point to non-existing packages.
JP> - may not be reasonable (xdvi depends on ghostscript ?).
JP> - may already be satisfied by local software deselect doesn't
JP> know about.
JP> It would already help a lot if deselect allowed the administrator
JP> to install a package as a "ghost" in the sense that:
JP> - the package counts as being installed as far as deselect
JP> is concerned.
JP> - deselect does not attempt to unpack/install the package.
JP> But as it is currently, maintaining a Debian system by using
JP> deselect is a real pain ...
JP> Regards,
JP> Johannes Plass
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