Package: gdebi-core Version: 0.9.3 Severity: normal Hi,
since I wanted to check if the recent aptitude upload works properly on sparc64 (the buildd hasn't built it yet), I've built all architecture-dependent packages from the aptitude source package (i.e. the binary package "aptitude"). The architecture-dependent binary package "aptitude" depends on the architecture-independent binary package "aptitude-common" with the same version. Hence installing aptitude_0.6.8.3-1_sparc64.deb over version 0.6.8.2-1.2 needed aptitude-common updated at the same time. That's why I used gdebi. But to my surprise, gdebi did not install aptitude 0.6.8.3-1 over 0.6.8.2-1.2 but first removed aptitude 0.6.8.2-1.2 and with it all reverse dependencies of aptitude without even asking. This is definitely a dangerous behaviour and should be avoided where possible. (Ok, it asks, but only "Do you want to install the software package?" and it does not mention that this will (unnecessearily) remove other packages in that queston, it only mentions that many lines above.) In my case it were only some local meta-packages to pull in common packages, so no harm was done, but I can imagine if this happens with a more vital package, this can cause quite some headaches for the administrator, e.g. how to regain access to the system if e.g. openssh-server has been removed. Example session: root@hw:/home/abe/bin-nmu# ls -l *deb -rw-r--r-- 1 abe 1000 18664912 Jan 22 09:14 aptitude-dbg_0.6.8.3-1_sparc64.deb -rw-r--r-- 1 abe 1000 1211652 Jan 22 09:12 aptitude_0.6.8.3-1_sparc64.deb root@hw:/home/abe/bin-nmu# gdebi aptitude_0.6.8.3-1_sparc64.deb Reading package lists... Done Building dependency tree Reading state information... Done Building data structures... Done Building data structures... Done Requires the REMOVAL of the following packages: abe-commandline abe-packaging-dev abe-perl-dev aptitude Requires the installation of the following packages: aptitude-common terminal-based package manager aptitude is a package manager with a number of useful features, including: a mutt-like syntax for matching packages in a flexible manner, dselect-like persistence of user actions, the ability to retrieve and display the Debian changelog of most packages, and a command-line mode similar to that of apt-get. . aptitude is also Y2K-compliant, non-fattening, naturally cleansing, and housebroken. Do you want to install the software package? [y/N]:y Get:1 http://ftp.debian-ports.org/debian/ unstable/main aptitude-common all 0.6.8.3-1 [1579 kB] Fetched 1579 kB in 0s (0 B/s) (Reading database ... 73738 files and directories currently installed.) Removing abe-packaging-dev (13) ... Removing abe-perl-dev (13) ... Removing abe-commandline (13) ... Removing aptitude (0.6.8.2-1.2) ... Processing triggers for man-db (2.6.5-2) ... (Reading database ... 73708 files and directories currently installed.) Preparing to unpack .../aptitude-common_0.6.8.3-1_all.deb ... Unpacking aptitude-common (0.6.8.3-1) over (0.6.8.2-1.2) ... Processing triggers for man-db (2.6.5-2) ... Setting up aptitude-common (0.6.8.3-1) ... Selecting previously unselected package aptitude. (Reading database ... 73711 files and directories currently installed.) Preparing to unpack aptitude_0.6.8.3-1_sparc64.deb ... Unpacking aptitude (0.6.8.3-1) ... Setting up aptitude (0.6.8.3-1) ... update-alternatives: using /usr/bin/aptitude-curses to provide /usr/bin/aptitude (aptitude) in auto mode update-alternatives: warning: skip creation of /usr/share/man/cs/man8/aptitude.8.gz because associated file /usr/share/man/cs/man8/aptitude-curses.8.gz (of link group aptitude) doesn't exist update-alternatives: warning: skip creation of /usr/share/man/de/man8/aptitude.8.gz because associated file /usr/share/man/de/man8/aptitude-curses.8.gz (of link group aptitude) doesn't exist update-alternatives: warning: skip creation of /usr/share/man/es/man8/aptitude.8.gz because associated file /usr/share/man/es/man8/aptitude-curses.8.gz (of link group aptitude) doesn't exist update-alternatives: warning: skip creation of /usr/share/man/fi/man8/aptitude.8.gz because associated file /usr/share/man/fi/man8/aptitude-curses.8.gz (of link group aptitude) doesn't exist update-alternatives: warning: skip creation of /usr/share/man/fr/man8/aptitude.8.gz because associated file /usr/share/man/fr/man8/aptitude-curses.8.gz (of link group aptitude) doesn't exist update-alternatives: warning: skip creation of /usr/share/man/gl/man8/aptitude.8.gz because associated file /usr/share/man/gl/man8/aptitude-curses.8.gz (of link group aptitude) doesn't exist update-alternatives: warning: skip creation of /usr/share/man/it/man8/aptitude.8.gz because associated file /usr/share/man/it/man8/aptitude-curses.8.gz (of link group aptitude) doesn't exist update-alternatives: warning: skip creation of /usr/share/man/ja/man8/aptitude.8.gz because associated file /usr/share/man/ja/man8/aptitude-curses.8.gz (of link group aptitude) doesn't exist update-alternatives: warning: skip creation of /usr/share/man/pl/man8/aptitude.8.gz because associated file /usr/share/man/pl/man8/aptitude-curses.8.gz (of link group aptitude) doesn't exist Processing triggers for man-db (2.6.5-2) ... root@hw:/home/abe/bin-nmu# apt-get install abe-commandline abe-perl-dev abe-packaging-dev […] -- System Information: Debian Release: jessie/sid APT prefers unreleased APT policy: (500, 'unreleased'), (500, 'unstable') Architecture: sparc64 Kernel: Linux 3.12-trunk-sparc64-smp (SMP w/1 CPU core) Locale: LANG=C, LC_CTYPE=C (charmap=ANSI_X3.4-1968) Shell: /bin/sh linked to /bin/dash Versions of packages gdebi-core depends on: ii file 1:5.14-2 ii python-apt 0.9.1 ii python-debian 0.1.21+nmu2 pn python:any <none> gdebi-core recommends no packages. Versions of packages gdebi-core suggests: ii xz-utils 5.1.1alpha+20120614-2 -- no debconf information -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to [email protected] with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact [email protected]
