Re: What's going on with "testing"?
On Tue, May 20, 2003 at 07:02:02PM +0100, Richard Kimber wrote:
> So what should the ordinary not-terribly-expert user do, just keep doing
> apt-get upgrade as usual in the hope that it will eventually sort itself
> out?
No, you should actually learn the difference between the two upgrade
targets, and then use the one appropriate to the circumstances.
The "upgrade" target does not allow apt to change the installed state of a
package. That means that it can't remove one, and it can't add one, even
if a package that it would otherwise upgrade requires one or the other
behavior.
Example: Package "A" is split, and now is "A", and "A-common". Apt
*cannot* upgrade package "A", because it now has a new dependency that
cannot be satisfied (apt is not allowed to install the new "common"
package).
The "dist-upgrade" target allows apt to change the installed state. It can
install new packages, and it can *remove* them, in its attempt to find a
dependency solution.
Example: Package "A" and package "B" are currently installed. A newly
available version of "A" declares a conflict with package "B". Apt will
try to remove "B" in order to upgrade "A".
Simplistic examples, but you get the idea.
Stuff like this does not "sort itself out", and it does not "go away".
It's the way things are supposed to work.
Sorry, but this is one of my pet annoyances with people who think they
should be running testing or unstable.
--
Marc Wilson | <Knghtbrd> Subject: [GR PROPOSAL] Should we vote on
msw@cox.net | trivial matters?
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