Re: Packages: required vs recommended vs suggested
On Sun, Aug 31, 2003 at 01:11:24PM -0400, Neal Lippman wrote:
> I was wondering if someone could clarify how apt-get handles the various
> categories of related packages.
It doesn't. The only thing apt-get cares about is dependencies.
> I did in install last pm of a package which "recommends" other packages,
> which it turned out I needed in order to make things work.
Then perhaps they're actually dependencies? Did you file a bug?
> However, apt-get install <package> did not automagically install the
> recommended packages (it did get required dependencies) and I spent quite
> a while before I figured that out.
Yes, as documented, apt-get doesn't care about Recommends or Suggests.
IMHO, a tool that didn't give you the option of whether to install them,
but automatically went and did it, kind of makes moot the idea of a package
being anything other than a dep.
> How do you cause apt-get to at least ask you about installing
> recommended, or suggested, package dependencies?
You don't. You use a real package management tool rather than something
that was originally coded as a demonstration of libapt and dependency
resolution.
Personally, I have no problem with dselect, but most other people will
probably point you to aptitude.
--
Marc Wilson | I am covered with pure vegetable oil and I am writing
msw@cox.net | a best seller!
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