Re: Bug#24923: apt: various dependencies and errors
On Tue, 28 Jul 1998, Tomas Pospisek wrote:
> > 2) ERROR because ftp method requested but required package "libmd5-perl".
> >
> > I view it as an error because apt is unable to continue with that mirror.
> > Also, since the default is not to use ftp, not as many people will be
> > burned by this, and those that do should be the more experienced ones.
> > Also, I view this as one of the more friendly error messages because it
> > tells you what mirror couldn't be used and what package is needed to fix
> > this (try getting that out of a core dump error message :-)
>
> OK, I was upgrading, so I didn't change nothing in the setup of dselect...
I'm pretty sure you changed two things: apt's config file and dselect's
method that it's using.
> Correct me if I'm wrong:
>
> - atp or dselect (I don't know which) updates dselect (dpkg, dpkg-ftp?)
> but (why?) does >not< update or get libmd5-perl.
When you installed apt, it was your job to decided if you wanted to get
libmd5-perl with it. It's not required because you can still use apt
without it, so you may have missed this. Apt couldn't update libmd5-perl
because it was choking on your ftp mirrors.
> - dselect depends on libmd5-perl, if you use the ftp method, so it can't
> go on ("you are stuck"!). Since the ftp method is >not< default it
> libmd5-perl is marked as optional.
I think you are confusing apt with dselect. See above. You can use
dselect's ftp method just fine without apt or libmd5-perl (I think).
However, apt is such an improvement over this method, who would want to
:-)
> - so you need to download the part yourself
Yes, just like you downloaded apt.
> Now, getting that error, how am I supposed to know that am am getting it
> because I have selected ftp and not http as download method?
You would have to read the docs or get the info from someone else. Both
of which should mention that you need libmd5-perl (will, I just mention
that you need some other package to use apt via ftp).
> OK, I don't want to bother, I just think it's easier to solve the problem
> somehow - f.ex. give the user some digestible info or check that one is
> using the ftp method and download libmd5-perl - than having to answer
> bugreports from ignorant users like me...
Chicken and egg problem. Apt needs the lib to work and you want it to get
the library when it doesn't have it, but it can't use your ftp mirror to
get the package that it needs to work.
> Consider this resolved from my side.
Ok.
Best of luck, and I hope this clears some of the confusion up,
Brandon
--+--
Brandon Mitchell <bhmit1@mail.wm.edu> | Debian Testing Group Status
PGP Key: finger -l bhmit1@cs.wm.edu | http://bhmit1.home.ml.org/deb/
Dijkstra probably hates me (Linus Torvalds, in kernel/sched.c)
--
To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to deity-request@lists.debian.org
with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact listmaster@lists.debian.org
Reply to: