Re: Bug#46308: marked as done (apt: vague message about conflicts/depends)
reopen 46308
thanks
On Thu, Sep 30, 1999 at 06:18:04PM -0000, Debian Bug Tracking System wrote:
> On Thu, 30 Sep 1999, Josip Rodin wrote:
> > Sorry, but the following packages have unmet dependencies:
> > wmsound: Depends: wmaker (>= 0.20.2-2) but it is not installed
> > E: Sorry, broken packages
> >
> > Yeah, right. But, dpkg explained it:
>
> It actually is supposed to say 'but it is not going to be installed'
>
> The problem is that APT does not have the same view of the world as dpkg
> does, when you install wmsound it really does install it but after it's
> done that it finds out that things it needs are missing, so you get the
> backwards message.
>
> If you do 'apt-get install wmaker wmsound' then you get different message
> that is closer to what dpkg shows. The problem is quite literally that
> wmsound cannot find a version of wmaker that it is compatble which is
> exactly what the error message says.
It's the other way around - wmaker won't accept that version of wmsound,
(it Conflicts: with it). APT's message *is* incorrect, because wmaker
version 0.60.0-4 (which is >= 0.20.2-2) *is* installed. You could understand
the message the right way, but only after like five minutes of pondering
the logical possibilities ;)
If the problem with APT's "viewpoint" is indeed impossible to be solved,
please at least fix the message to say something like:
Sorry, but the following packages have unmet dependencies or cause conflicts:
wmsound: Depends: wmaker (>= 0.20.2-2) but it is not going to be installed
That is avoiding the lie - it is still ambigous, but at least gives a
clearer clue on what could be going on.
--
enJoy -*/\*- don't even try to pronounce my first name
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