Bug#548661: dpkg: Override package dependencies
Control: forcemerge 160247 -1
On Sun, Sep 27, 2009 at 10:32:58PM -0400, Stefan Monnier wrote:
> Package: dpkg
> Version: 1.15.3.1
> Severity: wishlist
>
> In bug#542095, I think the right solution is to make it possible for the user to specify "overrides" on package dependencies (e.g. to say "install gnome, but ignore the dependency on network-manager").
>
> The idea is the following: normally, hard-dependencies represent situations where the other package is absolutely needed for the package to work properly. Now, clearly sometimes this rule requires interpretation to decide whether it's really a hard dependency or just a recommends.
> In the case of meta-packages, hard-dependencies are actually pretty much never true. So it'd be OK for a power-user to decide not to install the dependency. I can see several ways to provide such a feature. An easy one would be to alow users to shoot themselves in the foot and override *any* dependency. A more discriminating one could let the user only do it for those dependencies known to be a bit soft (e.g. the dependencies of meta-packages, or other dependencies specially specified as such; that would be halfway between a hard dependency and a "recommends"), so a user could for example remove "hal" while still installing xserver-xorg because he knows he'll write his xorg.conf accordingly.
>
I'm forcemerging that with that other bug about people wanting to
violate the policy on Depends.
--
Julian Andres Klode - Debian Developer, Ubuntu Member
See http://wiki.debian.org/JulianAndresKlode and http://jak-linux.org/.
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