Upgraded to Debian Squeeze, and now apt-get has gone insane

Changes · 10-20-2009, 01:35 PM

I had wicd on Lenny. During the upgrade to Squeeze, it said wicd was broken, and proceeded to remove it.
I now have the default network manager installed. It sorta works, but I much prefer wicd. However, if I try to reinstall it, apt-get attempts to remove network-manager, gnome-network manager and gnome. Obviously, removing gnome is unacceptable.

Additionally, every time I use apt-get it tells me there's a crapload of stuff that was "automatically installed and is no longer required", except in the list there are tiny little things like the xserver-xorg-video-ati drivers (which I probably need, since my laptop has an Ati card), rhythmbox, the volume manager, transmission and a crapload of libraries. I'm fairly sure running autoremove would give me a whole lot of grief.

Is there any way of fixing the dependencies so that I can remove the stock network manager without also wiping out the whole desktop, and so that the whole autoremove issue goes away?

Thanks.

pljvaldez · 10-20-2009, 01:44 PM

Removing the package gnome may not be a big deal. It's probably a metapackage that contains all the small actual desktop packages. By removing one little part, you have essentially unbundled gnome into a bunch of smaller pieces.

As for making the dependencies sane, you might try running aptitude keep-all. Then use aptitude from now on. Debian has recommended the use of aptitude over apt-get since Sarge because of it's better handling of dependencies.

Changes · 10-24-2009, 04:41 AM

Keep-all fixed the second problem, thanks. However, I tried accepting aptitude's solution for wicd, and it put up a new list of stuff to be removed.

Quote:

The following packages are BROKEN:
network-manager-gnome
The following NEW packages will be installed:
python-urwid{a} wicd
The following packages will be REMOVED:
network-manager{a}
0 packages upgraded, 2 newly installed, 1 to remove and 43 not upgraded.
Need to get 583kB of archives. After unpacking 1,278kB will be used.
The following packages have unmet dependencies:
network-manager-gnome: Depends: network-manager (>= 0.7) but it is not installable
The following actions will resolve these dependencies:

Remove the following packages:
gnome
network-manager-gnome

Score is -172

Accept this solution? [Y/n/q/?] y
The following NEW packages will be installed:
python-urwid{a} wicd
The following packages will be REMOVED:
arj{u} binfmt-support{u} cli-common{u} clive{u} clive-utils{u}
dnsmasq-base{u} epiphany-extensions-more{u} evolution-exchange{u}
gedit-plugins{u} gnome{a} gnome-app-install{u} gnome-themes-extras{u}
gnome-themes-more{u} gnome-volume-manager{u} gtk2-engines-smooth{u}
libart2.0-cil{u} libberkeleydb-perl{u} libclass-accessor-perl{u}
libclass-singleton-perl{u} libconfig-tiny-perl{u}
libcrypt-passwdmd5-perl{u} libcrypt-twofish-perl{u}
libdatetime-format-mail-perl{u} libdatetime-format-w3cdtf-perl{u}
libdatetime-locale-perl{u} libdatetime-perl{u}
libdatetime-timezone-perl{u} libexpect-perl{u} libgconf2.0-cil{u}
libgetopt-argvfile-perl{u} libglade2.0-cil{u} libglib2.0-cil{u}
libgmime-2.0-2a{u} libgmime2.2a-cil{u} libgnome-vfs2.0-cil{u}
libgnome2.24-cil{u} libgnomepanel2.24-cil{u} libgpod-common{u}
libgpod4{u} libgtk2.0-cil{u} libgtkhtml2-0{u} libhtml-strip-perl{u}
libio-pty-perl{u} libio-stty-perl{u} liblist-moreutils-perl{u}
libmono-addins-gui0.2-cil{u} libmono-addins0.2-cil{u}
libmono-cairo2.0-cil{u} libmono-corlib2.0-cil{u}
libmono-i18n-west2.0-cil{u} libmono-posix2.0-cil{u}
libmono-security2.0-cil{u} libmono-sharpzip2.84-cil{u}
libmono-system2.0-cil{u} libmtp8{u} libndesk-dbus-glib1.0-cil{u}
libndesk-dbus1.0-cil{u} libnm-glib-vpn0{u} libparams-validate-perl{u}
libpcap0.8{u} libsgutils2-2{u} libsub-name-perl{u}
libterm-readkey-perl{u} libuniversal-require-perl{u} libwww-curl-perl{u}
libxml-libxml-common-perl{u} libxml-libxml-perl{u}
libxml-namespacesupport-perl{u} libxml-rss-libxml-perl{u}
libxml-sax-expat-perl{u} libxml-sax-perl{u} mono-2.0-gac{u} mono-gac{u}
mono-runtime{u} network-manager{a} network-manager-gnome{a} perl-tk{u}
ppp{u} python-gtkhtml2{u} python-sexy{u} rhythmbox{u}
system-config-printer{u} tomboy{u} transmission-common{u}
transmission-gtk{u}

Fortunately, it asked me confirmation before proceding, which I promptly denied.

*sigh* what now?

pljvaldez · 10-26-2009, 10:52 AM

Did you finish the dist-upgrade and completely comment out the Lenny lines in /etc/apt/sources.list? It almost looks like you're still running mixed sources. Before you try installing anything, why don't you try doing an aptitude update && aptitude safe-upgrade. Then try running a aptitude full-upgrade.

After that try running a keep all again. Then see what happens. You can run the install with the -s switch (for simulate only) and then you don't have to worry about it uninstalling stuff. It'll just pretend to do the install.

EDIT: There's some other new features of aptitude like --safe-resolver that can be used. I'd try using them with the simulate switch if you keep having problems. Here's the manpage.