Hi Johannes You wrote: > > Debian's realization of package dependencies is, in my opinion, > too tight. > Two (out of many possible) examples may illustrate my point: > - A user doesn't want to install Debian's ghostscript since > he is a ghostscript beta tester and has a newer version > than Debian provides. > However, since he wants to use previewers like gv, ghostview > and xdvi (which depend on ghostscript) he MUST install the > Debian ghostscript.
Xdvi dose not "depend" on ghostscript but "recommend" it. > - A user wants to install ghostscript. > Due to a dependence on "libpaper" which "doesn't seem to > be available" this fails. Since previewers like ghostview > and xdvi (why actually does xdvi depend on ghostscript ?) > depend on this package the user is left with a system > on which he cannot view .ps and .dvi files. Here is where libpaper is: ftp://ftp.debian.org/debian/unstable/binary-i386/text/libpaper_1.0.3-3.deb > > The basic problem is that deselect doesn't allow to override > any dependencies specified by package maintainers. This, however, > is necessary since package dependencies > - may point to non-existing packages. In my experience, this has not been the problem. Most of time I just don't know "Where" that package is. > - may not be reasonable (xdvi depends on ghostscript ?). > - may already be satisfied by local software deselect doesn't > know about. This might be, but most people use all debian system. In which case it works very well. > > It would already help a lot if deselect allowed the administrator > to install a package as a "ghost" in the sense that: > - the package counts as being installed as far as deselect > is concerned. > - deselect does not attempt to unpack/install the package. Hmmm...interesting idea. But what happens when a new user uses this feature and find errors when using a program. She/He would look at dselect and think it is install when the package wasn't. Still it might work. Later, David -- TO UNSUBSCRIBE FROM THIS MAILING LIST: e-mail the word "unsubscribe" to [EMAIL PROTECTED] . Trouble? e-mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
