#1138158 Define semantics of version-range dependencies

#1138158#5
Date:
2026-05-28 12:41:45 UTC
From:
To:
Often times, we need to express version range dependencies. The APT
solver handles that by intersecting the dependencies[1]. We should
extend policy to handle that case.

[1] https://salsa.debian.org/apt-team/apt/-/blob/3.3.1/apt-pkg/solver3.cc?ref_type=tags#L800

Proposal:

<< EOF

7.2.1 Version Range dependencies

If multiple dependencies are declared in the same field, on the
same package, only differing in their version clause (if any),
these dependencies are satisfied by the same package.

For example, the dependency combination

    Depends: package (>= 2), package (<< 3)

Can be satisified by either of these packages:

    Package: package
    Version: 2

    Package: package-2
    Provides: package (= 2)

but it must not be be satisfied by installing two packages to
independently satisfy the clauses such as:


    Package: package
    Version: 3                  # satifies package (>= 2)

    Package: package-1
    Version: 1
    Provides: package (= 1)     # satifies package (<< 3)

EOF