Package: apt Version: 0.5.27 Severity: normal "dpkg -s shellutils" says:
Package: shellutils Status: install ok installed Priority: extra Section: oldlibs Installed-Size: 16 Maintainer: Michael Stone <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Architecture: all Source: coreutils Version: 5.2.1-2 Pre-Depends: coreutils Description: The GNU shell programming utilities (transitional package) Empty package to facilitate upgrades, can be safely removed. (ditto for textutils). So, I assume I can remove them. But "apt-get remove --purge shellutils textutils" says: WARNING: The following essential packages will be removed This should NOT be done unless you know exactly what you are doing! shellutils textutils 0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 2 to remove and 0 not upgraded. Need to get 0B of archives. After unpacking 32.8kB disk space will be freed. You are about to do something potentially harmful To continue type in the phrase 'Yes, do as I say!' This is rather contradictory! -- Package-specific info: -- apt-config dump -- APT ""; APT::Architecture "i386"; APT::Build-Essential ""; APT::Build-Essential:: "build-essential"; Dir "/"; Dir::State "var/lib/apt/"; Dir::State::lists "lists/"; Dir::State::cdroms "cdroms.list"; Dir::State::userstatus "status.user"; Dir::State::status "/var/lib/dpkg/status"; Dir::Cache "var/cache/apt/"; Dir::Cache::archives "archives/"; Dir::Cache::srcpkgcache "srcpkgcache.bin"; Dir::Cache::pkgcache "pkgcache.bin"; Dir::Etc "etc/apt/"; Dir::Etc::sourcelist "sources.list"; Dir::Etc::vendorlist "vendors.list"; Dir::Etc::vendorparts "vendors.list.d"; Dir::Etc::main "apt.conf"; Dir::Etc::parts "apt.conf.d"; Dir::Etc::preferences "preferences"; Dir::Bin ""; Dir::Bin::methods "/usr/lib/apt/methods"; Dir::Bin::dpkg "/usr/bin/dpkg"; DPkg ""; DPkg::Pre-Install-Pkgs ""; DPkg::Pre-Install-Pkgs:: "if dpkg -s apt-listbugs | grep -q '^Status: .* ok installed'; then /usr/sbin/apt-listbugs apt || ( test $? -ne 10 || exit 10; echo 'Warning: apt-listbugs exited abnormally, hit enter key to continue.' 1>&2 ; read a < /dev/tty ); fi"; DPkg::Pre-Install-Pkgs:: "/usr/bin/apt-listchanges --apt || test $? -ne 10"; DPkg::Pre-Install-Pkgs:: "/usr/sbin/dpkg-preconfigure --apt || true"; DPkg::Tools ""; DPkg::Tools::Options ""; DPkg::Tools::Options::/usr/bin/apt-listchanges ""; DPkg::Tools::Options::/usr/bin/apt-listchanges::Version "2"; -- (no /etc/apt/preferences present) -- -- /etc/apt/sources.list -- deb http://ftp.lip6.fr/pub/linux/distributions/debian unstable main non-free contrib deb http://ftp.de.debian.org/debian/ unstable main non-free contrib deb-src http://ftp.de.debian.org/debian/ unstable main non-free contrib deb http://non-us.debian.org/debian-non-US unstable/non-US main contrib non-free deb-src http://non-us.debian.org/debian-non-US unstable/non-US main contrib non-free deb http://ftp.lip6.fr/pub/linux/distributions/debian stable main non-free contrib deb http://ftp.de.debian.org/debian/ stable main non-free contrib deb http://non-us.debian.org/debian-non-US stable/non-US main contrib non-free deb http://security.debian.org/ stable/updates main contrib non-free -- System Information: Debian Release: 3.1 APT prefers unstable APT policy: (500, 'unstable') Architecture: i386 (i686) Kernel: Linux 2.6.8 Locale: LANG=POSIX, LC_CTYPE=en_US.ISO8859-1 (charmap=ISO-8859-1) Versions of packages apt depends on: ii libc6 2.3.2.ds1-18 GNU C Library: Shared libraries an ii libgcc1 1:3.4.2-3 GCC support library ii libstdc++5 1:3.3.5-2 The GNU Standard C++ Library v3 -- no debconf information

