Hi,

how can I find out why packages are being kept back from upgrade?

fuchur:~# apt-get upgrade -u
Reading Package Lists... Done
Building Dependency Tree... Done
The following packages have been kept back
comerr-dev e2fsprogs imagemagick libmagick5 mysql-client mysql-server
php5-mysql sysvinit

I assume there are dependancy problems between conflicting apt-sources,
but how can I resolv those conflicts?

Thanks!

Joern

In alt.os.linux.debian, Joern Bredereck uttered the immortal words:

> how can I find out why packages are being kept back from upgrade?
>
> fuchur:~# apt-get upgrade -u
> Reading Package Lists... Done
> Building Dependency Tree... Done
> The following packages have been kept back
> comerr-dev e2fsprogs imagemagick libmagick5 mysql-client mysql-server
> php5-mysql sysvinit
>
> I assume there are dependancy problems between conflicting apt-sources,
> but how can I resolv those conflicts?

There are several reasons why packages are kept back. The most common ones I
see in unstable are:

1. A package depends on a package that doesn't exist yet.
2. A package depends on a package version that doesn't exist yet.
3. A package's dependencies have changed a new package needs to be installed
and/or an old package needs to be removed.

For 1 and 2 you just have to wait for the Debian maintainers to sort it out.
"apt-get dist-upgrade" can help with 3 but be careful with it. Use the -s
switch to see exactly what APT wants to do first.

Which branch of Debian are you using? My unstable box reports no php5*
packages at all and there appear to be no problems with the others. If
you're using unofficial repositories then that could be another reason.

--
Andy.

Andy Fraser wrote:


> There are several reasons why packages are kept back. The most common ones I
> see in unstable are:
>
> 1. A package depends on a package that doesn't exist yet.
> 2. A package depends on a package version that doesn't exist yet.
> 3. A package's dependencies have changed a new package needs to be installed
> and/or an old package needs to be removed.

ok, so far that's clear. But what tools do I have to check out what is
missing?

> Which branch of Debian are you using? My unstable box reports no php5*
> packages at all and there appear to be no problems with the others. If
> you're using unofficial repositories then that could be another reason.

I'm using Debian Woody with some backport-apt-sources:


fuchur:~# cat /etc/apt/sources.list
deb http://www.backports.org/debian/ woody smartmontools
#deb http://www.proesdorf.de/debian/ stable main contrib
#deb http://www.backports.org/debian stable all
deb http://www.fs.tum.de/~bunk/debian woody/kernel-26 main
deb http://debian.moolfreet.com ./
deb http://ftp.de.debian.org/debian/ stable main non-free contrib
deb-src 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-src 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
deb http://www.backports.org/debian/ woody mysql-dfsg
deb http://www.backports.org/debian/ woody uw-imap

I'm pretty sure I'm lacking some packages that belong to sources that I
don't use anymore (backports.org/debian stable all e.g.).If I knew
exactly what packages are missing, I could try to install them manually.


--
Joern

In alt.os.linux.debian, Joern Bredereck uttered the immortal words:

>> There are several reasons why packages are kept back. The most common
>> ones I see in unstable are:
>>
>> 1. A package depends on a package that doesn't exist yet.
>> 2. A package depends on a package version that doesn't exist yet.
>> 3. A package's dependencies have changed a new package needs to be
>> installed and/or an old package needs to be removed.
>
> ok, so far that's clear. But what tools do I have to check out what is
> missing?

I don't usually worry about it. As I said, dist-upgrade usually sorts out 3
and there's not much that can be done about 1 and 2 if the maintainers
haven't released certain packages yet.

>> Which branch of Debian are you using? My unstable box reports no php5*
>> packages at all and there appear to be no problems with the others. If
>> you're using unofficial repositories then that could be another reason.
>
> I'm using Debian Woody with some backport-apt-sources:
<snip sources.list>

> I'm pretty sure I'm lacking some packages that belong to sources that I
> don't use anymore (backports.org/debian stable all e.g.).If I knew
> exactly what packages are missing, I could try to install them manually.

You could try installing them manually with the -s switch ie "apt-get
install imagemagick*-s". It should give you a clearer idea of what's
missing.

There's probably a better way to check but I rarely need the more advanced
features of APT and when I do I look at the docs at http://www.debian.org
then promptly forget what I did. :-)

--
Andy.

On Wed, 08 Dec 2004 15:55:55 +0000, Andy Fraser
<andyfraser31@hotmail.com> wrote:
> In alt.os.linux.debian, Joern Bredereck uttered the immortal words:
>
>>> There are several reasons why packages are kept back. The most common
>>> ones I see in unstable are:
>>>
>>> 1. A package depends on a package that doesn't exist yet.
>>> 2. A package depends on a package version that doesn't exist yet.
>>> 3. A package's dependencies have changed a new package needs to be
>>> installed and/or an old package needs to be removed.
>>
>> ok, so far that's clear. But what tools do I have to check out what is
>> missing?
>
Try aptitude.


--
Programming Department:
Mistakes made while you wait.