On Fri, Feb 27, 2004 at 11:06:05AM +0100, Wolfgang Dautermann wrote: > Branden Robinson wrote: > >Thanks for the report. > > > >Does the package install successfully if you use the following command?: > > > >dpkg -i --force-confmiss xbase-clients_4.1.0-16woody3_all.deb > > woody3_all.deb? I believe/hope you meant woody3_ia64.deb, I could not > find a package xbase-clients_4.1.0-16woody3_all.deb... Yes, I meant _ia64.deb. Sorry. :( > Hmm. The help for dpkg does not really sound good: > > celsius800:~# dpkg --force-help > [...] > confmiss [!] Always install missing config files > [...] > WARNING - use of options marked [!] can seriously damage your installation. > > Anyway, I will try it... In this context, all it means is "if your system is configured such that these configuration files being deleted is crucial for its proper operation, then dpkg will change that configuration". In practice, most of the time missing conffiles are indicative of *damage*, not proper operation. But the exceptions can be important (e.g., /etc/hosts.deny). > celsius800:~# dpkg -i --force-confmiss > /var/cache/apt/archives/xbase-clients_4.1.0-16woody3_ia64.deb > (Reading database ... 66177 files and directories currently installed.) > Preparing to replace xbase-clients 4.1.0-16woody1 (using > .../xbase-clients_4.1.0-16woody3_ia64.deb) ... > ERROR: /etc/X11/xkb/xkbcomp exists and is not a symbolic link. This package > cannot be installed until this file is removed. > Aborting installation of xbase-clients package. > dpkg: error processing > /var/cache/apt/archives/xbase-clients_4.1.0-16woody3_ia64.deb (--install): > subprocess pre-installation script returned error exit status 1 > Errors were encountered while processing: > /var/cache/apt/archives/xbase-clients_4.1.0-16woody3_ia64.deb > > No, that did not work. Then I removed /etc/X11/xkb/xkbcomp, tried it again: > > celsius800:~# mv /etc/X11/xkb/xkbcomp /tmp > celsius800:~# dpkg -i --force-confmiss > /var/cache/apt/archives/xbase-clients_4.1.0-16woody3_ia64.deb > (Reading database ... 66177 files and directories currently installed.) > Preparing to replace xbase-clients 4.1.0-16woody1 (using > .../xbase-clients_4.1.0-16woody3_ia64.deb) ... > Unpacking replacement xbase-clients ... > dpkg: dependency problems prevent configuration of xbase-clients: > xbase-clients depends on libdps1 (>> 4.1.0); however: > Package libdps1 is not configured yet. > xbase-clients depends on libxaw7 (>> 4.1.0); however: > Package libxaw7 is not configured yet. > xbase-clients depends on xlibmesa3 | libgl1; however: > Package xlibmesa3 is not configured yet. > Package libgl1 is not installed. > Package xlibmesa3 which provides libgl1 is not configured yet. > xbase-clients depends on xlibs (>> 4.1.0); however: > Package xlibs is not configured yet. > dpkg: error processing xbase-clients (--install): > dependency problems - leaving unconfigured > Errors were encountered while processing: > xbase-clients > > And now, an "apt-get update" worked cleanly. I had to reconfigure my > X-Server, but now everything seems to work. You did exactly what you were supposed to do. > ERROR: /etc/X11/xkb/xkbcomp exists and is not a symbolic link. This package > cannot be installed until this file is removed. > Aborting installation of xbase-clients package. > Then I removed /etc/X11/xkb/xkbcomp, tried it again: Exactly right. "dpkg --unpack --force-confiss" might have been more strictly correct under the circumstances, instead you got more errors that might have scared you if you weren't experienced enough to know better. All that happened is that you requested "unpack + configure" (which is what "-i" means), and dpkg found it could unpack, but could not configure, xbase-clients, because its dependencies had to be configured first. As you noted, apt-get, a higher-level tool than dpkg, knew what to do, and did it. -- G. Branden Robinson | What cause deserves following if Debian GNU/Linux | its adherents must bury their branden@debian.org | opposition with lies? http://people.debian.org/~branden/ | -- Noel O'Connor
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