try dpkg -r --force remove-essential smail or dpkg -r --force depends smail
but I think it is the first one. On 11-Dec-97 Randy Edwards wrote: > I'm presently running my system with smail. What I'd like to do is > to convert to an easier to configure and more capable MTA, which I > believe is exim (correct me if I'm wrong:-). > > However, I'm in a catch-22. dselect/dpkg won't allow me to remove > smail because so many packages depend on it. And, dselect/dpkg won't > allow me to install exim because smail already exists. > > Could someone give me some tips on the "proper" way to accomplish > such a switch? Is there a way to override dselect/dpkg's dependencies > for such circumstances? Thanks in advance. > > -- > Regards, | Debian GNU/ __ o > . | / / _ _ _ _ _ __ __ > Randy | / /__ / / / \// //_// \ \/ / > ([EMAIL PROTECTED]) | /____/ /_/ /_/\/ /___/ /_/\_\ > | ...because lockups are for convicts... > > > -- > TO UNSUBSCRIBE FROM THIS MAILING LIST: e-mail the word "unsubscribe" to > [EMAIL PROTECTED] . > Trouble? e-mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] . > > -- TO UNSUBSCRIBE FROM THIS MAILING LIST: e-mail the word "unsubscribe" to [EMAIL PROTECTED] . Trouble? e-mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] .