Re: test for package dependencies without installing

[Paul Yeatman <pyeatman@ucsd.edu>]

->>In response to your message<<-
  --received from Chris Burkhardt--
>
> Paul Yeatman wrote:
> > Hi, I'm wondering if there is a command I can run on a debian package that would test for whether all dependencies of that package are already installed on the system without actually installing the package if so.  This mailing list thread http://lists.debian.org/debian-user/2006/09/msg00292.html is on the exact topic and many suggestions are thrown out but none of which I can prove true.
> > 
<...snip...>
> > 
> > Is there a script-friendly way to determine this before attempting to install?  dpkg man page suggests that "--no-act, --dry-run, --simulate" should do this yet 
> > 
> > $ sudo dpkg -i --no-act texlive-base_2007.dfsg.1-2_all.deb (Reading database ... 138033 files and directories currently installed.)
> > Preparing to replace texlive-base 2007.dfsg.1-2 (using texlive-base_2007.dfsg.1-2_all.deb) ...
> > $ echo $?
> > 0
> > 
> > tells me nothing about lacking dependencies.
> 
> There is a note in the man page about putting the --no-act flag before the action:
> 
> $ sudo dpkg --no-act -i texlive-base_2007.dfsg.1-2_all.deb
> 
> Does that make it behave as expected?

I wish but sadly no:

$ sudo dpkg --no-act -i texlive-base_2007.dfsg.1-2_all.deb
Selecting previously deselected package texlive-base.
(Reading database ... 150341 files and directories currently installed.)
Unpacking texlive-base (from texlive-base_2007.dfsg.1-2_all.deb) ...
pyeatman@pyeatman:~$ 

...but I didn't catch that so thanks for pointing out!

Paul