debian dependecy hell

[Anton Markov]

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Hi Peter,

It looks like you used "dpkg -i" or something similar to install an
unstable version of libglib2.0-dev. apt-get is now trying to satisfy all
of it's dependancies (which happen to be from unstable). If this is the
case, your best bet is to try "dpkg -P libglib2.0-dev". Then try
"apt-get -s -f install" and see what else apt wants. Hopefully it should
say everything is fine. Then you can do "apt-get install
libglib2.0-dev/stable" (if you are running "stable", that is).

Sorry to hear that you are giving up on Debian. Having switched from
Slackware several years ago (->Redhat->Debian), I know dependencies can
be frustrating at times. But they make things easier in the long run.

Give it another chance. (Even if it did uninstall most of your KDE,
after fixing your current problem you can just do apt-get install KDE,
and everything should be back to normal :). If you have your Debian CDs,
you shouldn't have to download anything.)

More explanation:

I believe your problem is due to trying to install an "unstable" or
"testing" package on a "stable" Debian system (that is what you are
using, correct?). Although you have correctly determined that you need,
for example, libglib2.0-dev, do you really need the "unstable" version?
Check which version the source package needs (if the info is available)
and install the next-lowest version available (i.e. stable or testing).

You probably also have some "unstable" package lists specified in your
/etc/apt/sources.list file. You should either remove those lines, or
follow Tim Writer's suggestion about /etc/apt/preferences (quoted
below). That way when you try to install something, it will install the
"stable" version, so you will have to install as few additional packages
as possible.

Tim Writer wrote:
> it will select the lowest version that satisfies your priorities per your
> /etc/apt/preferences.  For example, mine looks like this:
>
>     X-comment: ==================== Track stable
>     Package: *
>     Pin: release a=stable
>     Pin-Priority: 500
>
>     X-comment: ==================== Make testing available (for manual
selection)
>     Package: *
>     Pin: release a=testing
>     Pin-Priority: 70
>
>     X-comment: ==================== Make unstable available (for
manual selection)
>     Package: *
>     Pin: release a=unstable
>     Pin-Priority: 50

More below...

Peter L. Peres wrote:
> - then using the apt tools I determined that these headers come from the
> following debian packages:
>
> libglib2.0-dev
> libpango1-ruby
> libraw1394-dev
>
> - then I tried to apt-get them but upon attempted install the error
> messages I attached to the previous email appeared instead, and none
> installed. It appears that they, in turn, depend on other packages.
> These need to update existing packages on my system. I would like to
> avoid that.

The dependencies are there to make sure that if you install a package,
it has everything it needs to work. As long as you don't fight the
system, and don't do things like manually forcing packages to install
via "dpkg -i", it works well.

> To rephrase my questions: given I have libpkg-xyz-111 installed how do I
> locate its corresponding libpkg-xyz-111-dev ? I.e. what goes with what ?
> Remember I am on a modem internet connection.

Version numbers are usually not part of the package name. It is only in
cases like libglib2.0 where there is a large functionality difference
between the versions, that the package includes the version.

But that shouldn't really matter. If you are looking for the -dev
package, just add -dev to the package name. So you have correctly
determined that libglib2.0-dev is the development headers package for
libglib2.0.


- --
Anton Markov <("anton" + "@" + "truxtar" + "." + "com")>

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