Re: apt-get option to keep dummy packages

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

On Wed, Nov 17, 2010 at 19:55, Andres Mejia <mcitadel@gmail.com> wrote:
> I'm helping out with testing the new apt resolver used in the latest sbuild in
> unstable. Question I have is, is there some option or set of options that will
> cause apt-get to refuse to remove a package or maybe a set of packages. For
> example, aptitude has this option.
>
> -o Aptitude::ProblemResolver::Hints::KeepDummy=reject <dummy_package> :UNINST
>
> This means aptitude won't accept a solution where the <dummy_package> will be
> uninstalled.

A similar thing could be implemented easily in pkgDepCache::IsDeleteOk, but
if your command is really an 'apt-get install whatever' apt should never
accept a solution in which whatever is not installed. It will either fail
bigtime (if it is really impossible to install) or provide even an insane
solution (remove half of the system, for example).


I would try to avoid using special hints for the resolver as a user never
would give such hints, so you might hide problems a user would encounter
without these hints and after all, what does it help if sbuild can build a
package if a random user can't do it?

I mean, what does it help to have a package installed which is broken?
The check if is broken or if it is installed at all doesn't look to
different an either way is a build failure…


Best regards

David Kalnischkies