>>>> "JP" == Johannes Plass <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes:
You're right. What I do is to build an empty package that provide all the (virtual) packages that I have something equivalent under /usr/local. I just call this package asgard-local (asgard is my box name), install it and dselect stop barking. There's a lot of times an user don't want the Debian packages. e.g: Xserver : too much garbage built-in fvwm* : I want my own hacked version gcc : I want -frepo *** : debian packaged an obsolete (read old) version. Just grab the hello.*-*.tgz source package, and create your empty package. It's very easy. ------- L.D. JP> Debian's realization of package dependencies is, in my opinion, JP> too tight. JP> Two (out of many possible) examples may illustrate my point: JP> - A user doesn't want to install Debian's ghostscript since JP> he is a ghostscript beta tester and has a newer version JP> than Debian provides. JP> However, since he wants to use previewers like gv, ghostview JP> and xdvi (which depend on ghostscript) he MUST install the JP> Debian ghostscript. JP> - A user wants to install ghostscript. JP> Due to a dependence on "libpaper" which "doesn't seem to JP> be available" this fails. Since previewers like ghostview JP> and xdvi (why actually does xdvi depend on ghostscript ?) JP> depend on this package the user is left with a system JP> on which he cannot view .ps and .dvi files. JP> The basic problem is that deselect doesn't allow to override JP> any dependencies specified by package maintainers. This, however, JP> is necessary since package dependencies JP> - may point to non-existing packages. JP> - may not be reasonable (xdvi depends on ghostscript ?). JP> - may already be satisfied by local software deselect doesn't JP> know about. JP> It would already help a lot if deselect allowed the administrator JP> to install a package as a "ghost" in the sense that: JP> - the package counts as being installed as far as deselect JP> is concerned. JP> - deselect does not attempt to unpack/install the package. JP> But as it is currently, maintaining a Debian system by using JP> deselect is a real pain ... JP> Regards, JP> Johannes Plass -- TO UNSUBSCRIBE FROM THIS MAILING LIST: e-mail the word "unsubscribe" to [EMAIL PROTECTED] . Trouble? e-mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED]