Bug#571304: apt keeps trying to add packages that not selected for installation

[David Kalnischkies <kalnischkies+debian@gmail.com>]

Hi Mark!

On Donnerstag, 25. Februar 2010, markhobley@yahoo.co.uk wrote:
> I am using Debian testing. Whenever, I try to add or remove a package, I
> keep getting a message that the following packages will be installed:
mmh. sid and testing have the same and i am not exposed to this
problem in unstable… looks like more like a environment specific thing.
Do you use the same settings in testing vs. etch ?
(or do you mean lenny? etch is oldstable)

Could you post the complete command you tried?
It would be also helpful to run apt with a few debug options:
Add to your apt-get command the following:
-s -o Debug::pkgProblemResolver=1 -o Debug::pkgDepCache::Marker=1 -o
Debug::pkgDepCache::AutoInstall=1

As the output will be quite verbose you maybe want to redirect
the output to a file, so you can easily attach it - and as a bonus
you should run it as normal user (-s = simulation).

The full command could e.g. look like:
apt-get dist-upgrade -s -o Debug::pkgProblemResolver=1 -o
Debug::pkgDepCache::Marker=1 -o Debug::pkgDepCache::AutoInstall=1 &>
/tmp/du.log


> Debian Release: squeeze/sid
>   APT prefers testing
>   APT policy: (60, 'testing'), (50, 'unstable')
> Architecture: i386 (i386)
Looks like a quite obscure preference setting: Both under 100 ?
It would be cool if you could include therefore also the output of the
commands "apt-config dump" and "apt-cache policy".


Thanks for your report so far and
Best regards / Mit freundlichen Grüßen,


David Kalnischkies