Bug#625801: apt should allow remove package depended on by metapackage and keep metapackage
package apt
severity 625801 wishlist
tags 625801 wontfix
thanks
On Fri, May 6, 2011 at 05:02, Joshua <joshudson@gmail.com> wrote:
> Today this came up: there is no good reason for gnome-desktop to depend on evolution.
> Another one in bug list: Bug#563712
If that is your impression, you shouldn't install the metapackage.
And equally important, i don't see in which way it helps to report
this "no good reason" bug against APT as it doesn't have this dependency…
As the bug you refer to already said, it doesn't carry any functionality -
its just a mix of packages the maintainer has chosen (maybe in agreement
with upstream) as a default if the user doesn't exactly know what he or she
should choose. If you know it, then feel free to ignore metapackages.
APT isn't going to ignore dependencies of a package - it is the whole point
of APT to *not* ignore them. So please fight a war with the maintainer and/or
upstream of the metapackage in question and convenience them that their
choice is bad - good luck with that -, that they should use an or-group or
should downgrade to Recommends or or or, but don't request that APT should
stop doing what it was programmed for…
I should have closed the bug, but as it comes up from time to time,
maybe it helps if we leave it open with a big wontfix, as it's not a bug,
but a central feature…
Best regards
David Kalnischkies
P.S.: Even if we would want to, we technical doesn't even have a way to
detect a metapackage currently - only guesses by looking at Section…
Reply to: