Bug#186671: apt-get install/upgrade installs the same packages again and again
On Mon, Mar 31, 2003 at 10:40:10AM +0200, Daniel Müller <daniel.mueller@tm.uka.de> wrote:
> > You must assign unique version numbers to all packages that are
> > different.
>
> Alternatively, you can apply the appended patch which will most probably
> fix the weird behaviour.
Woaw, great, thanks (will test it soon ;)
> Well, Jason says this behaviour is not a bug. But on the other hand,
Well, it's most probably a design shortcoming. (maybe in dpkg, which only
seems to store version numbers anyway).
Here are some good arguments on why it should be supported:
- I can select by architecture, but not by cpu or other criteria,
although doing so is documented (select packages by origin etc.)
- There is no alternative at all: there is no automated way to patch
version numbers up in packages. Some ways might work most of the time,
but there is no foolproof way.
- Version numbers should only describe behaviour, not architecture, not
optimization level, not debug info availability, not origin and a lot
of other factors. Requiring different version numbers for alpha and
x86 is just as weird as requiring different version numbers for
pentium-optimized vs. k7-optimized.
If I am not totally confused, the current system makes some sense, since
all the parameters that _can_ be determined from installed packages
(architetcure and version number) are used in apt, while others (origin
etc.) that cannot be easily determined are not.
I hope somebody heard me ;) The main point is that, while not really a
bug, it's a serious shortcoming, making apt much less versatile than it
could be (and looks like) ;)
--
-----==- |
----==-- _ |
---==---(_)__ __ ____ __ Marc Lehmann +--
--==---/ / _ \/ // /\ \/ / pcg@goof.com |e|
-=====/_/_//_/\_,_/ /_/\_\ XX11-RIPE --+
The choice of a GNU generation |
|
Reply to: