Re: acroread --why can't package be installed?
> > *- On 15 Jun, Barry Kauler wrote about "acroread --why can't package be installed?"
> > > When I type
> > > # dpkg --list acroread
> > > The package lists with the letters "pn" at the start of the line.
> > > Such packages will not install, and there is an error message
> > > "no installation candidate" when I try to install it.
> > >
> > > Why, oh why is this?
> > > I don't have acroread currently installed, and there it is as a
> > > package, so why can't I install it?
> > >
> > > What does "pn" actually mean?
> >
> > Desired=Unknown/Install/Remove/Purge
> > | Status=Not/Installed/Config-files/Unpacked/Failed-config/Half-installed
> > |/ Err?=(none)/Hold/Reinst-required/X=both-problems (Status,Err: uppercase=bad)
> > ||/ Name Version Description
> > +++-===============-==============-============================================
> > pn gv <none> (no description available)
> >
> > Follow the vertical lines.
> > p: Purged(a.k.a. you don't want to try and installed(i.e. it is not
> > select for install in dselect), not even config configs)
> > n: Not Installed(a.k.a. it is not currently installed)
>
>
> Just for the record, I don't think 'purged' should be explained
> as above. AFAIK, 'purged' simply means that, in addition to
> removing the package, the config scripts for the package are
> removed from /var/lib/dpkg/info.
> Frankly, I've always wondered why 'purged' isn't the default
> action of dpkg.
I have understood "purged" in respect to totally removing a package
from a system. But how does "purged" apply to a package that I
have never installed?
I come back to the same question -- why can't I install acroread?
It's in dpkg's local database, it's on the web package site, I've got a
relatively new installation that hasn't been messed up in any way,
I've never installed an earlier version of acroread.
So, why can't anyone really answer this question?
Regards,
Barry Kauler
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