Bug#38772: apt: problem installing packages when there are unmet dependencies

[Ulf Jaenicke-Roessler <ujr@physik.phy.tu-dresden.de>]

Package: apt
Version: 0.3.6
Severity: normal

Hi,

 I'm not sure if this really qualifies as bug ;-) However it is annoying.

 I intentionally installed jadetex and tetex-nonfree, although the conflict
 at the moment because of a jadetex bug (it works if I install jadetex before
 tetex-nonfree).
 Now apt-get barfs on me and doesn't install or download anything:

apt-get -df install pgp-i
 Reading Package Lists... Done
 Building Dependency Tree... Done
 You might want to run `apt-get -f install' to correct these.
 Sorry, but the following packages have unmet dependencies:
   jadetex: Conflicts: tetex-nonfree (>= 0.9.990510) but 0.9.990510-2 is installed
 E: Unmet dependencies. Try using -f.

 First, 'Try using -f' is definitely wrong (because I did this). Second, I
 want to install a package which has nothing to do with either jadetex nor
 tetex-nonfree. And finally, I even put jadetex and tetex-nonfree on hold
 (with dselect) but it doesn't help either.

 BTW, I'd like to draw your attention on the 3rd output line ("You might...").
 It doesn't make sense. It should either be output later, or should be
 reworded.

 Thanks,

  Ulf


-- System Information
Debian Release: potato
Kernel Version: Linux pkfp20 2.2.9-ac1 #1 Tue Jun 1 11:31:53 CEST 1999 i586 unknown

Versions of the packages apt depends on:
ii  libc6           2.1.1-9        GNU C Library: Shared libraries and timezone
ii  libstdc++2.9-gl 2.91.66-2      The GNU stdc++ library (EGCS version)