On 21 Oct 1999, James LewisMoss wrote: > When trying to install the new packages I get the following errors > (and this is with real package names). > > dpkg: regarding gnome-card-games_1.0.51-1_i386.deb containing > gnome-card-games, dependency problem: > gnome-games depends on gnome-card-games (= 1.0.2-9) > gnome-card-games is to be installed, but is version 1.0.51-1.
For the record, this is the direct result of a new 'feature' added to the latest potato dpkg. It now checks dependencies of other packages on the package that is being installed. In this case, your dependency on gnome-games to gnome-card-games does not allow gnome-card-games to be installed. Some carefull thought will reveal that it is now actually impossible to install and dependent of gnome-games or gnome-games without a forcing option. There is nothing wrong with your dependencies, they are perfectly legitimate and basically non-looping. Quite simply, dpkg is not properly equiped to deal with checking reverse depends and shoulds never have been patched to allow it. Your situation is only one of many that no longer work, people will find that some of their APT upgrades mysteriously fail, and dpkg -iGROBE is now totally useless. Interested parties may read the thread titled 'dpkg upgrade/downgrade dependency problem' at http://www.debian.org/Lists-Archives/debian-dpkg-9804/threads.html Jason
