Re: Installing packages from source with apt

[David Z Maze <dmaze@debian.org>]

Vincent Lefevre <vincent@vinc17.org> writes:

> What is the best way to compile and install packages from source with
> apt?
>
> I don't want to use "dpkg -i" once the packages are built (as suggested
> in the how-to) since dpkg doesn't check dependencies and may break the
> system (it did in the past...).

dpkg does *check* dependencies, it just doesn't go out of its way to
*correct* them.  That is, dpkg shouldn't let you install a package if
its dependencies aren't already installed.  If you never use a --force
option and your packages work, it should be pretty hard to break your
system using 'dpkg --install'.

One useful alternative might be to install the package using APT (so
you pick up the dependencies), then recompile it from source and
install it using 'dpkg --install'.

> Vincent Lefèvre <vincent@vinc17.org> - Web: <http://www.vinc17.org/> - 100%
> validated (X)HTML - Acorn Risc PC, Yellow Pig 17, Championnat International

(I was at HCSSiM in 17*117+4...  :-)

-- 
David Maze         dmaze@debian.org      http://people.debian.org/~dmaze/
"Theoretical politics is interesting.  Politicking should be illegal."
	-- Abra Mitchell