#160247 Won't allow the user to install a broken package

Package:
apt
Source:
apt
Description:
commandline package manager
Submitter:
Peter Gervai
Date:
2015-08-13 21:51:08 UTC
Severity:
wishlist
#160247#5
Date:
2002-09-05 08:55:20 UTC
From:
To:
Depends on unavailable perlapi-5.6.1, uninstallable.

(Apart from that, I wish you good luck with this beast, you have all my
simpathy for this brave quest :-))
#160247#10
Date:
2002-09-09 17:55:06 UTC
From:
To:
severity 159692 serious
clone 159692 -1
reassign -1 apt
retitle -1 apt: apt-get violates paragraph 7.2. of policy.
retitle 159692 slash: slash depends on old perl version.
thanks

Hi,
We have two separate bugs here:
1) slash depends on a old version of perl (perl-base provides
   perlapi-5.8.0), so it simply need to remove this package from the Depends
   field in the control file.
2) apt refuse to instal slash with this message:
   Some packages could not be installed. This may mean that you have
   requested an impossible situation or if you are using the unstable
   distribution that some required packages have not yet been created
   or been moved out of Incoming.

   Since you only requested a single operation it is extremely likely that
   the package is simply not installable and a bug report against
   that package should be filed.
   The following information may help to resolve the situation:

   Sorry, but the following packages have unmet dependencies:
     slash: Depends: perlapi-5.6.1 but it is not installable
   E: Sorry, broken packages

This violates paragraph 7.2. of Debian Policy.

     A `Depends' field takes effect _only_ when a package is to be
     configured.  It does not prevent a package being on the system in an
     unconfigured state while its dependencies are unsatisfied, and it is
     possible to replace a package whose dependencies are satisfied and
     which is properly installed with a different version whose
     dependencies are not and cannot be satisfied; when this is done the
     depending package will be left unconfigured (since attempts to
     configure it will give errors) and will not function properly.  If it
     is necessary, a `Pre-Depends' field can be used, which has a partial
     effect even when a package is being unpacked, as explained in detail
     below.

ciao,
#160247#23
Date:
2002-09-10 08:17:03 UTC
From:
To:
reopen 159692
tags 159692 + sid
reopen 160247 Luca - De Whiskey's - De Vitis <luca@linuxasylum.net>
severity 160247 wishlist
retitle 160247 could have a switch to retrieve broken packages (was:apt-get violates paragraph 7.2. of policy.)
thanks

jason, slash is still not updated, please don't close this bug. close the apt one
(as you probably intended) #160247

luca, btw severity:

   grave
          makes the package in question unuseable or mostly so, or causes
          data loss, or introduces a security hole allowing access to the
          accounts of users who use the package.

the package is unuseable, since it is not installable. it is not in - IMHO -
"serious policy violation". no problem, just mentioning.

peter

ps: i don't think that this is an apt bug, or that apt does something wrong.
it's job is to install packages with correct deps, if they have unsatisfied
deps it shall not even touch 'em, since they're uninstallable. if you
satisfy their deps, apt will happily retrieve them later. if you want to
download it, you can use ftp, http, whatever. it could be a wishlist item to
ask apt for an url, or retrieve something for you no matter what, but it's
definitely not a bug. IMHO. YMMW. ETC. :)

ps2: I tried do dissociate #160247 from my name. probably failed but worths
a try.