That's the key design idea behind the new solver, it's not allowed to remove manually installed packages. The messages aren't quite the most helpful about that yet.
We have a compat mode with APT::Solver::RemoveManual=1 which I need to add a command-line argument for, and I'd like to introduce an `apt swap` command for specifically swapping packages as a semantically different concept. It may also be possible that we switch to the compact mode, but it's not fully sound yet: It guarantees that no manually installed package is removed if such a solution exists, but it doesn't provide strong guarantees to how many manually installed packages it removes if it needs to remove some.* * It technically provides the guarantee that it orders all manually installed packages by apt's internal preference and guarantees you not to remove a more preferable package than the ones that need to be removed but it may remove less important packages instead of finding other solutions -- You received this bug notification because you are a member of Ubuntu Touch seeded packages, which is subscribed to apt in Ubuntu. https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/2115024 Title: Apt fails when it needs to remove a non-specified pacakage Status in apt package in Ubuntu: New Bug description: Two examples: 1) I wanted to remove libmircore2t64 and everything that depends on it. `apt remove libmircore2t64` fails, because there are packages that depend on libmircore2t64, and I can't find any way to ask apt to remove those packages. 2) I have nvidia-driver-570 installed. “apt install nvidia-driver-575” fails, with: Solving dependencies... Error! 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. The following information may help to resolve the situation: Unsatisfied dependencies: nvidia-driver-575 : Depends: libnvidia-gl-575 (= 575.57.08-0ubuntu2) but it is not going to be installed Depends: nvidia-dkms-575 (<= 575.57.08-1) but it is not going to be installed Depends: nvidia-dkms-575 (>= 575.57.08) but it is not going to be installed Depends: nvidia-kernel-common-575 (<= 575.57.08-1) but it is not going to be installed Depends: nvidia-kernel-common-575 (>= 575.57.08) but it is not going to be installed Depends: nvidia-kernel-source-575 (= 575.57.08-0ubuntu2) but it is not going to be installed Depends: libnvidia-compute-575 (= 575.57.08-0ubuntu2) but it is not going to be installed Depends: libnvidia-extra-575 (= 575.57.08-0ubuntu2) but it is not going to be installed Depends: nvidia-compute-utils-575 (= 575.57.08-0ubuntu2) but it is not going to be installed Depends: libnvidia-decode-575 (= 575.57.08-0ubuntu2) but it is not going to be installed Depends: libnvidia-encode-575 (= 575.57.08-0ubuntu2) but it is not going to be installed Depends: nvidia-utils-575 (= 575.57.08-0ubuntu2) but it is not going to be installed Depends: xserver-xorg-video-nvidia-575 (= 575.57.08-0ubuntu2) but it is not going to be installed Depends: libnvidia-cfg1-575 (= 575.57.08-0ubuntu2) but it is not going to be installed Depends: libnvidia-fbc1-575 (= 575.57.08-0ubuntu2) but it is not going to be installed Recommends: libnvidia-compute-575:i386 (= 575.57.08-0ubuntu2) Recommends: libnvidia-decode-575:i386 (= 575.57.08-0ubuntu2) Recommends: libnvidia-encode-575:i386 (= 575.57.08-0ubuntu2) Recommends: libnvidia-fbc1-575:i386 (= 575.57.08-0ubuntu2) Recommends: libnvidia-gl-575:i386 (= 575.57.08-0ubuntu2) Error: Unable to satisfy dependencies. Reached two conflicting decisions: 1. nvidia-kernel-common-575:amd64=575.57.08-0ubuntu2 is not selected for install because: 1. nvidia-driver-570:amd64 is selected for install 2. nvidia-driver-570:amd64 Depends nvidia-kernel-common-570 (<= 570.133.07-1) and Depends nvidia-kernel-common-570 (>= 570.133.07) 3. nvidia-kernel-common-570:amd64 Conflicts nvidia-kernel-common [selected nvidia-kernel-common-570:amd64] 2. nvidia-kernel-common-575:amd64=575.57.08-0ubuntu2 is selected for install because: 1. nvidia-driver-575:amd64=575.57.08-0ubuntu2 is selected for install 2. nvidia-driver-575:amd64=575.57.08-0ubuntu2 Depends nvidia-kernel-common-575 (>= 575.57.08) 3. nvidia-kernel-common-575:amd64 is available in version 575.57.08-0ubuntu2 Apt *should* find the solution “remove all the nvidia-570 packages” and offer it. Oddly, after “apt remove nvidia-driver-570”: ``` The following packages were automatically installed and are no longer required: libnvidia-cfg1-570 libnvidia-decode-570:i386 libnvidia-encode-570:i386 libnvidia-fbc1-570:i386 nvidia-compute-utils-570 nvidia-kernel-common-570 nvidia-settings xserver-xorg-video-nvidia-570 libnvidia-common-570 libnvidia-egl-wayland1:i386 libnvidia-extra-570 libnvidia-gl-570 nvidia-dkms-570 nvidia-kernel-source-570 nvidia-utils-570 libnvidia-decode-570 libnvidia-encode-570 libnvidia-fbc1-570 libnvidia-gl-570:i386 nvidia-firmware-570-570.133.07 nvidia-prime screen-resolution-extra Use 'sudo apt autoremove' to remove them. REMOVING: nvidia-driver-570 Summary: Upgrading: 0, Installing: 0, Removing: 1, Not Upgrading: 0 Freed space: 1,445 kB Continue? [Y/n] ``` and “apt --purge autoremove”: ``` REMOVING: libnvidia-cfg1-570* libnvidia-decode-570:i386* libnvidia-encode-570:i386* libnvidia-fbc1-570:i386* nvidia-compute-utils-570* nvidia-kernel-common-570* nvidia-settings* xserver-xorg-video-nvidia-570* libnvidia-common-570* libnvidia-egl-wayland1:i386* libnvidia-extra-570* libnvidia-gl-570* nvidia-dkms-570* nvidia-kernel-source-570* nvidia-utils-570* libnvidia-decode-570* libnvidia-encode-570* libnvidia-fbc1-570* libnvidia-gl-570:i386* nvidia-firmware-570-570.133.07* nvidia-prime* screen-resolution-extra* Summary: Upgrading: 0, Installing: 0, Removing: 22, Not Upgrading: 0 Freed space: 914 MB Continue? [Y/n] ``` I *can* then install nvidia-driver-575 and it will remove libnvidia-compute-570: ``` Installing: nvidia-driver-575 Installing dependencies: libnvidia-cfg1-575 libnvidia-compute-575:i386 libnvidia-egl-wayland1:i386 libnvidia-extra-575 libnvidia-gl-575 nvidia-dkms-575 nvidia-kernel-source-575 nvidia-utils-575 libnvidia-common-575 libnvidia-decode-575 libnvidia-encode-575 libnvidia-fbc1-575 libnvidia-gl-575:i386 nvidia-firmware-575-575.57.08 nvidia-prime screen-resolution-extra libnvidia-compute-575 libnvidia-decode-575:i386 libnvidia-encode-575:i386 libnvidia-fbc1-575:i386 nvidia-compute-utils-575 nvidia-kernel-common-575 nvidia-settings xserver-xorg-video-nvidia-575 REMOVING: libnvidia-compute-570 libnvidia-compute-570:i386 Summary: Upgrading: 0, Installing: 25, Removing: 2, Not Upgrading: 0 Download size: 451 MB Space needed: 992 MB / 6,222 GB available Continue? [Y/n] ``` Although this might be because libnvidia-compute-XXX has Provides/Conflicts/Replaces set up? ProblemType: Bug DistroRelease: Ubuntu 25.10 Package: apt 3.1.2 ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 6.14.0-15.15-generic 6.14.0 Uname: Linux 6.14.0-15-generic x86_64 NonfreeKernelModules: zfs nvidia_modeset nvidia ApportVersion: 2.33.0-0ubuntu1 Architecture: amd64 CasperMD5CheckResult: pass CurrentDesktop: ubuntu:GNOME Date: Fri Jun 20 14:18:39 2025 InstallationDate: Installed on 2023-08-06 (684 days ago) InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 22.04.2 2023.07.13 LTS "bcachefs" (20230713) SourcePackage: apt UpgradeStatus: Upgraded to questing on 2025-05-21 (29 days ago) To manage notifications about this bug go to: https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/apt/+bug/2115024/+subscriptions -- Mailing list: https://launchpad.net/~touch-packages Post to : [email protected] Unsubscribe : https://launchpad.net/~touch-packages More help : https://help.launchpad.net/ListHelp
