Re: dpkg --getselections, apt, and update-menus
> getselections is supposed to be current. A package marked deinstall is
> removed, but not purged. Or at least it is expected to be.
On my machine, it definately doesn't work like that. I just tested it.
Changed a selection in dselect, but didn't do an "Install", the
selection change was evident in dpkg --get-selections.
> There is no other
> good way for an outside program to ask dpkg about the state of the system.
I realise this is the problem. Which is why one might rather look at
updating dpkg, rather than update-menus... (Oh, my machine is a very
up-to-date woody, well, as up to date as the local mirror, which seems
to update a couple of times a week, but not necessarily every day.)
> a) # dpkg --get-selections|sed -e 's/deinstall$/install/'|dpkg --set-selections
> # apt-get dselect-upgrade
Ah yes... sed. The problem with this is, it will also install the
packages that are not installed (that are really currently
"deinstalled"). Maybe one should use sed on /var/lib/dpkg/status...?
Replacing lines containing "Status: install ok deinstall" or something
like that with "Status: install ok install"... It does sort of feel
wrong to go this "low level" though.
> b) run the dselect update as root, but actually browse as a user
A little extra trouble, but probably the best solution thus far. Infact,
I just got the idea, and tested it, to simply do:
# dselect update ; su hugo -c "dselect select"
I could just make this a "listnewpackages" script or alias...
> c) dselect has a 'revert' key binding, but it only works for that run of
> dselect. So if you exit, there is no help.
Yup... a "global revert" would be usefull.
> Personally, I think console apt should have some way of showing new packages.
> if a package is marked 'new' and you have the sort order set to show new items
> first, it would emulate dselect fairly well.
If possible, this way should be avoidable if it makes console-apt any
slower, I think. But personally, on my machine, I would also love to see
this.
Thanks,
Hugo van der Merwe
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