Hi. Some people mentioned last month that it would be nice to have the automatic removal of automatically selected packages (i.e., packages selected by dselect or apt in order to satisfy dependencies) as it would fit in nicely with meta-packages implemented using (otherwise empty) .debs with dependencies.
The simplest (ha ha) solution I can think of is to add a new state to the Install/Purge/Remove item. Currently my status file includes: Package: libpng0g Status: install ok installed However, I doubt I went looking for this package, some other one must depend on it. I would suggest that this should read: Status: automatic ok installed instead. If all pkgs that depend on this are removed then dpkg should removes it as well (dpkg --remove --pending, or apt all by itself), leaving: Status: automatic ok not-installed or Status: automatic ok config-files when the package has remaining configuration. So "automatic" would mean either "install" or "deinstall" according to whether or not a packages dependencies (pre-depends and conflicts?) are satisfied. The admin should be able to change package statuses to "a"[utomatic] (like "+", "-", and "_") at the press of a key within dselect. However, most changes *into* the "automatic" state would be performed by dselect (when it brings up the dependency resolution screen) or by apt. How does this sound? Too much of a change to dpkg? Too much complexity for the newbie dselector? Not enough benefit? Exactly what test is to be performed to determine whether "automatic" means "install" or "deinstall"? Bearing in mind the huge number of packages available now, wouldn't it be nice to have all lib packages set to automatic? Of course, it also has to work with chains of dependencies. Giuliano Procida. ps It would also annoy people who type: dpkg -l | grep ^ii :-) -- mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] / [EMAIL PROTECTED] | public PGP key ID: 93898735 home: +44 1223 561237 / 547 Newmarket Road, Cambridge CB5 8PA, UK work: +44 1223 332127 / Magdalene College, Cambridge CB3 0AG, UK work: +44 1223 335333 / International Studies, Cambridge CB2 1QY, UK