Package: apt Version: 0.3.19 Severity: normal I just tried to do a system upgrade and had a very minor problem with one package. That package (lynx) has relatively few packages that depend on it and didn't really cause any problems for other software. Yet apt immediately bombed out after the error. Repeatedly running apt got a little further each time (I'm not sure why the ordering wasn't deterministic) but that's obviously not a reasonable failure mode.
One package shouldn't be able to make apt completely lose. apt should continue installing any packages whose dependencies don't directly prevent them from being installed without the broken package. We have to aim to build robust systems that continue to work even if parts are broken, not fragile systems that given one broken piece just abort and refuse to do anything. -- System Information Debian Release: woody Kernel Version: Linux HSE-MTL-ppp62178.qc.sympatico.ca 2.2.17pre9 #3 SMP Mon Jul 10 10:09:07 EDT 2000 i686 unknown Versions of the packages apt depends on: ii libc6 2.1.3-10 GNU C Library: Shared libraries and Timezone ii libstdc++2.10 2.95.2-14 The GNU stdc++ library
