Re: [Synaptic-devel] How to remove package *without* it trying to upgrade dependent packages

[Michael Vogt]

On Sun, Aug 29, 2004 at 03:29:07PM -0400, Andy Elvey wrote:
> Hi all - 
Hi Andy,

>   I've been using Synaptic for a while, and it's a *great* package! "Well 
> done" to the developers :-) 

Thanks, great to hear.

>   I do, however, have a problem.  ( I'm running Mepis Linux, kernel 2.6.4,  
> Synaptic version 0.50 ) .  
> 
>  My problem is that I have gcc 3.4.1 installed, and I want to remove the 
> other 
> (old) versions of gcc that are on the system ( I don't know why the old 
> versions are there - they came with the distro.  Anyway ... )   
>   When I marh gcc 3.3 for removal, and then click on "apply",  Synaptic says 
> that it will remove gcc 3.3, *but* it *also* says that it will *upgrade* a 
> number of packages at the same time!  Arrrrrgh ... :-)) 

This usually happens when a installed package (say A) depends on
libgcc from gcc3.3 and the available (latest) package of A depends on
a libgcc from gcc3.4. When gcc3.3 is removed, A would need to be
removed as well. Synaptic (libapt) detects this and upgrades A so that
it depends on the version from 3.4. If A itself has other
dependencies, more package may need updating.

It would be interessting if this is the case for your packages as
well :)
 
>  All I want to do is *remove* gcc 3.3, ( and if necessary, *all* packages 
> that 
> depend on it - there are only six or so ).  I do *not* want Synaptic to try 
> to upgrade packages that depend on the package I'm removing!  ( That 
> behaviour strikes me as bizarre .... :-)  
>
>  So, is there any way of *forcing* Synaptic to remove gcc 3.3 and all of its 
> dependencies, so that it will not try to do any upgrades of the dependent 
> packages?  

Not really. I have a "remove with dependencies" options on my todo
list for a long time now. The problem is that the removal must be
"smart" in order to avoid the removal of importend stuff. 


Cheers,
 Michael
 

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