Bug#493658: apt: dist-upgrade inconsistently installs things

[Daniel Burrows <dburrows@debian.org>]

On Mon, Aug 04, 2008 at 12:44:52AM +0100, Sam Morris <sam@robots.org.uk> was heard to say:
> $ apt-get dist-upgrade
> ...
> The following NEW packages will be installed
>   xli xscreensaver
> ^C
> 
> Why is xscreensaver going to be installed?
> 
> $ aptitude why xscreensaver
> i   xscreensaver-gl-extra Recommends xscreensaver
> 
> I see. But why then, are Recommendations made by other packages not
> followed? For instance, I have evolution installed which Recommends
> bogofilter. But I don't see apt offering to install it on a
> dist-upgrade.

  apt tries to only install recommendations of packages that are newly
installed, or recommendations that were introduced in a new version of a
package.  If you add "-o Debug::pkgDepCache::AutoInstall=true", then you
should get more information about specifically why apt is installing
xscreensaver-gl-extra.

  Daniel