Unbreaking the system [WAS Re: Cannot install vlc on bullseye ]
On Sat, Oct 16, 2021 at 02:57:13PM -0500, R. Ramesh wrote:
> Understood. Please also understand that we are users and not experts. I
> understand unix/linux and general SW principles. I will use debian as I
> trust this more than any other distribution. That does not mean I can learn
> everything about it. I will have no choice but to go with help from
> communities. I understand the cost.
> >
== Fixing the breakage ==
> > I would recommend finding all the packages on your system with a
> > dmo source, removing them, removing the dmo apt repository,
> > fixing your system, and then... carefully consider whether you
> > want to re-add the dmo apt repository at all.
This. Remove all of these: remove VLC. Clear the packages. dpkg --purge
them if that's what it takes. You will need to clear the packages in order
to instqall/upgrade cleanly.
Then add the deb-multimedia lines to /etc/apt/sources.list as at
https://deb-multimedia.org/
Temporarily comment out the debian lines in that file - so _only_ the
deb-multimedia lines are active [Add a # sign at the front of the line].
Do apt-update and so on as it says on the deb-multimedia site. Install
the packages you want.
Then comment out deb-multimedia and uncomment the debian lines.
That means that the packages you want from deb-multimedia will all have
been installed together without any conflicting packages from Debian main.
Repeat the process when you update repositories.
== deb-multimedia.org ==
>From https://deb-multimedia.org
Subscribe to the mailing list to find out when packages are updated:
To subscribe send an e-mail to dmo-changes-request@debmultimedia.org with subscribe in the subject.
Or click on this link : dmo-changes-request@deb-multimedia.org?subject=subscribe
Pretty much anything else you need is found at
https://deb-multimedia.org/faq#q1 and following.
> This is not acceptable to me. I will live broken system than a useless
> system. I need what I have and I cannot simply delete them for the sake
> making something pristine. Please understand we are users. No point in
> having a system that does nothing. Apart from mythtv, I use browser. So, if
> I take out dmo then I might as well install Win10.
> >
== Troubleshooting and further support ==
With luck: The steps given above will un-break your system sufficiently for you
to install the deb-multimedia packages you want.
At that point you are on your own because we can't really do more than best
endeavours support for a mixed system and troubleshooting and problem solving
are likely beyond us.
We can't help you much further here on debian-user: effectively, you're
then absolutely reliant on a third party repository for your mythtv.
Problems/updates and so on are theirs to sort out.
Any problems: Contact Christian Marillat
Any breakage: Contact Christian Marillat.
== Build it yourself ==
The other option is for you to build and maintain mythtv on your own system.
This is well documented by the MythTV devs and would give you a
self-contained system with a consistent build.
https://www.mythtv.org/wiki/Build_from_Source#Installing_Build_Dependencies_without_Ansible and so on.
The instructions at https://www.mythtv.org/wiki/Installing_MythTV_on_Debian
are fairly clear though you'll want fixes/31 rather than fixes/30.
> > Don't think I hate deb-multimedia. I have that repo enabled...
> > on one system. Not on a system that I depend on functioning all
> > the time.
> >
> > -dsr-
> Thanks for your comments. I understand where you come from. I have no hard
> feelings when someone tells me I am dumb. That is why I used debian-user. If
> I do not get any help, I will find a way as I have done that many times. In
> fact, I was going to wipe my system and reinstall from scratch and add dmo
> as that is easier.
>
No one's telling you that you're dumb. You ended up with a broken system.
Some of the steps above may help you fix it. Almost certainly, you don't
actually need to reinstall from scratch - the Debian packaging system
is fairly robust - but it might possibly be quicker, if you can't be
bothered to find the dmo packages.
> I was a linux user in 1991 and remained one. I am not going to be afraid to
> find issues and resolve them. I just want to try to get expert opinion first
> because I think that is the best approach.
>
The best expert opinion is fairly well summed up on the Debian wiki at
https://wiki.debian.org/DontBreakDebian . The advice given above is fairly
blunt and matter of fact because the users and developers on this list have
seen this sort of thing lots of times before.
> Regards
> Ramesh
>
With every good wish, as ever,
Andy Cater
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