Re: check .deb dependency without installing?

[Marty <martyb@ix.netcom.com>]

Hoehle, Joerg-Cyril wrote:
> Hi,
>
> Aptitude's highlighting of installed/not installed packages is great!
>
> I've downloaded a .deb, not from /etc/apt/sources.list.
> I wish to check without running dpkg --install foo.deb whether all
> dependencies for this .deb are satisfied, or whether I need to install
> more packages.
>
> apt-get --dry-run --simulate --no-act does not seem to fit because it
> checks a package from a known repository, not my local .deb file.
>
> It looks like I'm missing something like rpm's --nobuild.
>
> dpkg --info foo.deb is of little help: I would need to check by hand each
> element in the Depends: line, e.g. is libatk1.0.0 (>= 1.12.1) satisfied? 
>
> I discovered dpkg --dry-run -i foo.deb, but that did not report unsatisfied dependencies (although I now know there are some, after trying dpkg -i foo.deb out of despair).
>
> What did I miss?

Install the apt-howto package or see the searchable online docs at debian.org.

I've never used it, but dpkg-scanpackages may be what you are looking for,
as described in the APT HOWTO:

http://www.debian.org/doc/manuals/apt-howto/ch-basico.en.html#s-dpkg-scanpackage

For the general problem of managing local repositories, see the repository HOWTO:

http://www.debian.org/doc/manuals/repository-howto/repository-howto

> Thanks for your help,
> 	Jorg Hohle
> Telekom/T-Systems Technology Center