>>>>> " " == Erik Hollensbe <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes:
> Some packages refuse to install, and of course, break apt in > the process. Right now, I'm *hopefully* going to be able to > repair a totally hosed server that failed an apt-get because > MAN AND GROFF failed to install properly, ending the upgrade > process and therefore stopping the install of all the > perl/debian-perl packages except the binary, rendering apt > practically useless. Try to configure the unpacked packages with "dpkg --configure --pending". Helps a lot most of the time. Apart from that have a look at what gets updatet. If you update 200 Packages of unstable in one go you will kill your system with 99% certainty. Be a bit selective and do "apt-get install <packages>" for the major components like libc, perl, apt, dpkg before updating all the other stuff. I know that should not be neccessary, but with unstable, being unstable, I found that a good way to reduce the likelyhood of unneccessary packages breaking vital once. > No doubt the failure of man and groff has to do with the > problem that i've been having with many other packages, which I > will detail below. > Please, please, please, please... Checking your shell scripts > for SYNTAX ERRORS is not a bad idea before you submit it to the > package repository! You have no idea how many times, that I > have helped people in #debian on OPN fix shell script errors > for packages like mysql-server, which, could have easily > rendered a semi-production system completely dead (hopefully > they compile from source, but that's not the point, is it?) > simply because someone forgot a bracket or used the wrong 'set' > parameters in their script. > Other issues with apt in general - there is no OBVIOUS way > (short of reading the APT/DPKG perl classes) to force certain > flags. RTFM > For instance - install package 'realplayer', then, upgrade your > copy of xfree86-server or xfree86-common, and watch them fail > as it tries to write to a file in /etc/X11. I don't think I > need to go into detail about how much stuff like this pisses > off the average user. rpm anyone? (no, apt-get -f install does > not work, so don't even bother) Did you file a bugreport? > And why are packages being REMOVED (lib-pg-perl for example) > when I dist upgrade? RTFM, thats what dist-upgrade is for. probably a conflicts of some package updated. > apt-get and it's kin need more simple getopt-style flags that > allow overriding of certain things, mainly conflicts. Also, an > option to actually view what's being upgraded before you > download 250 packages that are only going to break your system > would be nice as well. RTFM: apt-get -u dist-upgrade Also do an "apt-get -u update" first. That won't change wich packages are installed, but only update whats possible. > I dunno - I was using debian back when hamm was released, and I > have never seen such an utter mess of incompatibilities and > stupid human error even in the worst mess of unstable upgrades > (which happens, and is understandable). Almost all of this is > due to a significant lack of adequate testing by package > maintainers. Your are the tester, keep testing and FILE BUGREPORTS. Alltogether I must say that unstable has become better and better. For the last 3 years I never had to reinstall stable after an unstable update. For the last year I didn't need a rescue disk after an unstable update. For the last month I didn't even had an error on update (but I haven't updatetd for the last 3 weeks, so that might explain it). MfG Goswin