Bug#618848: "apt-get remove libdb4.8" does many things, but doesn't remove the package

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

Hi Adrian,

first of all: Thanks for your report! :)

On Fri, Mar 18, 2011 at 23:51, Adrian Bunk <bunk@stusta.de> wrote:
> Whatever apt is trying to do here, the one thing
> I told it to do (removing libdb4.8) is not done.

It tries to save the system by installing alternatives for packages it
has to remove cause of its (indirect) dependency on libdb4.8.
(See #591882 and revno 1974.1.5 for a bit more details)

The problem is now, that one of this rescue tries causes that libdb4.8
is reinstalled again somewhere deep down the dependency list…
The offending part can be disabled by -o pkgProblemResolver::FixByInstall=0

I said in the bugreport that i fear it will bite back, now it has.

I guess we will need a way to tell the resolver that he can't override
certain changes (some parts already know this, but the depcache
doesn't know it…).


Best regards

David Kalnischkies