Subject: dselect/dpkg & multiple versions

From: "Brian C. White" <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 28 Aug 1996 17:59:05 -0400

I know that at one point the dselect/dpkg combination had fairly serious
problems if the same package name existed with multiple versions.  I learned
this the hard way when I installed from a mirror that had not run to
completion and thus had not deleted the older packages.

Dpkg installed _both_ versions of the packages at the same time and really
got screwed up.

The reason I bring this up is that there are now several package that are
_intentionally_ in the distribution multiple times with different versions:

  Debian-1.1-fixed/binary-i386/text/gs_2.62-2.deb
  non-free/binary/gs_4.01-2.deb

  Debian-1.1-fixed/binary-i386/text/gsfonts_2.62-2.deb
  non-free/binary/gsfonts_3.53-3.deb

  Debian-1.1-fixed/binary-i386/tex/lyx_0.9.23-1.deb
  contrib/binary/lyx_0.10.1-1.deb

These are already causing a bit of a problem with 'dftp' and I'm wondering
if they are/will cause problems with dselect/dpkg.

*** Bruce ***
What's the "official" word on duplicate packages this way?
                                             
                                          Brian
                                 ( [email-masked] )
                                             
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    In theory, theory and practice are the same.  In practice, they're not.

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From: Guy Maor <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 29 Aug 1996 01:34:01 -0500 (CDT)

>   non-free/binary/gs_4.01-2.deb

This is the only intentional duplication.  Some discussion is pending
on whether to rename one of them.

>   contrib/binary/lyx_0.10.1-1.deb

These duplications are temporary.  The new Alladin gsfonts will soon be
in the main distribution as it can be.  And lyx has moved to contrib.
There's a bug pending on ftp.debian.org for me to correct the packages
that have moved out of the main distribution in buzz.

> if they are/will cause problems with dselect/dpkg.

I suggest you use dpkg-ftp instead of dftp.

Guy

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From: Michael Shields <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 29 Aug 1996 14:14:12 +0000

>_intentionally_ in the distribution multiple times with different versions:

I think this is a useful feature and would like to see it on the wishlist
at least.  I'd definitely like to see dselect come up with a list of
multiple versions that are available -- from both stable and unstable, for
example -- and allow me to choose betwen them.  I'm guessing it would also
make support easier for the "realms" I mumbled about a few weeks ago.

(Of course, I ca'n't offer code at the moment so my opinion carries little
weight.)

--
Shields, CrossLink.

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From: Rob Browning <[email-masked]>
Date: 29 Aug 1996 17:43:33 -0500

> (Of course, I ca'n't offer code at the moment so my opinion carries little

That's not true.  It just means that it might take a bit longer for it
to happen if it's a good idea...

--
Rob