Re: Getting the hang of APT....
On Tue, Jun 14, 2005 at 12:13:36PM -0700, Redefined Horizons wrote:
> Thanks for the response Paul.
>
> What does apt-cache do?
>
It operates as a kind of proxy between your computer and the Debian
repository out on the internet. It keeps copies of all the packages
that you download so that, if you want to download again in order to
install on another computer, you already have a copy of the package
preserved from the first download. It is probably not for you, based
on your following questions. It was my excuse for not knowing how,
exactly, to solve the problem that you asked.
> Does it require an internet connection?
yes
>
> I don't have an internet connection to my Debian box yet. (But I'm
> working on it....)
It is possible to use Debian without an internet connection, but it is
much easier to use if you do have internet connection. By all means
work _hard_ on it.
>
> I asked these questions in response to a problem I had. I tried to
> install one package that depended on another package. The dependency
> package was newer than the one APT said was required by the package I
> was trying to install.
>
> So I thought I would try to update the "dependency list" to use the
> newer dependency package, not the older.
The dependency list is part of the package. If a newer version of a
piece of software comes out, it will be packaged with an updated
dependency list. The only dependency list that counts for a package
is the one that is contained in it. If that list is in error, it is
a serious bug that you, as a newbie user, have little chance of fixing.
>
> Perhaps if I download a newer version of the package I was originally
> trying to install, this would be solved.
If sounds as if you somehow download packages without having you
Debian computer attached to internet. An experienced guru can do this
with some success, but it is a poor way to learn. Work on getting the
connection working.
>
> Is that a correct assumption.
>
Each package contains its own dependency list. The list specifies, in
some cases, the earliest version number of a package that can be used
to satisfy a dependency. It is a fairly common situation for a new
piece of software to require the latest version of some other piece
of software. But it is quite uncommon for a new piece of software
to fail to work with the latest version of some supporting software.
Usually this is considered a serious bug and the developer does not
release the software until it is fixed.
HTH
--
Paul E Condon
pecondon@mesanetworks.net
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