Original Poster: The cache is there so that you can back out failed upgrades. I have seen several times when a new package broke something important an older version of the package did correctly. (Example: Mutt, libiconv, a month ago or so?)
This way, you can use dpkg to downgrade to an older package, one that works, and continue running your business until a new package is available to fix the problems. I don't clear the cache until I am running low on drive space. :) But I am just that paranoid. :) -- Earthlink: The #1 provider of unsolicited bulk email to the Internet.
