Bug#34223: marked as done (APT removes essential packages.)
Your message dated Sat, 20 Mar 1999 02:57:41 -0600 (CST)
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has caused the attached bug report to be marked as done.
This means that you claim that the problem has been dealt with.
If this is not the case it is now your responsibility to reopen the
bug report if necessary, and/or fix the problem forthwith.
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Date: Mon, 8 Mar 1999 11:13:20 +0100 (CET)
From: Santiago Vila <sanvila@unex.es>
Reply-To: Santiago Vila <sanvila@unex.es>
To: Debian Bugs <submit@bugs.debian.org>
Subject: APT removes essential packages.
In-Reply-To: <Pine.LNX.3.96.990305131713.2130A-100000@cantor.unex.es>
Message-ID: <[🔎] Pine.LNX.3.96.990305135716.2782A-100000@cantor.unex.es>
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Package: apt
Version: slink
Severity: grave
APT lets the user to remove an essential package.
This is Very Bad(TM).
Packages having the essential flag should be difficult to remove,
by definition. Asking the user a simple Yes/No question is *extremely*
dangerous, even if the default answer is No.
I found this in the packaging manual:
Debian packaging manual - chapter 13
dselect's interface to its installation methods
[...]
The install script should feed all the available .deb files to dpkg
--iGOEB (this is equivalent to dpkg --install --refuse-downgrade
--selected-only --skip-same-version --auto-deconfigure). The -R
(--recursive) option for traversing subdirectories may also be useful
here).
As far as I know, APT does not do this.
This would not bad by itself (other than being a "simple breakage of
policy") if it weren't because what apt does has not the *same* effect as
doing what policy says it should do.
Since one of the APT goals is to do package ordering, policy should be
amended, of course, so that the install script is not forced to do
"dpkg --iGOEB" literally.
However, doing dpkg --iGOEB does not remove any essential packages, and
for this reason, apt should not do it either.
Thanks.
--
"76074cf1cb41f64a2cae2220899043b8" (a truly random sig)
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